Ezekiel 47

1 The man took me back to the Temple entrance. I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the Temple and flowing east (because the Temple faced east). The water was coming from under the south side of the Temple and ran south of the altar.

Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

2 Then he took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east. I saw water was trickling out from the south side of the gate.

Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looks eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

3 The man walked east holding a measuring line He measured a thousand cubits and led me through the water which came up to my ankles.

And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

4 He measured another thousand cubits and led me through water which came up to my knees. He measured another thousand cubits and led me through water that came up to my waist.

Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

5 He measured another thousand cubits, but this was a river I couldn't cross. The water had risen so high you could swim in it. It was a river that couldn't be crossed on foot.

Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

6 “Son of man, have you observed all this?” he asked. Then he took me back to the riverbank.

And he said unto me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

7 When I got there, I saw a large number of trees on both sides of the river.

Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

8 He told me, “This water flows out into the land to the east and into the Arabah. When it arrives at the Dead Sea, it turns the saltwater fresh.

Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

9 There will be many animals and fish wherever the river flows. Because the river turns the saltwater fresh wherever it flows, everything will be able to live there.

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that lives, which moves, anywhere the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live where the river comes.

10 Fishermen will stand on the shore of the Dead Sea. They will be able to spread their nets from En-gedi to En-eglaim and catch many kinds of fish. There will be plenty of fish just like the Mediterranean Sea.

And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

11 However, the marshes and swampy areas won't become fresh; they will remain salty.

But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

12 All types of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves won't wither, and they won't fail to produce fruit. They will produce fruit every month, because the river flowing from the sanctuary comes to water them. Their fruit will be eaten as food and their leaves will be used for healing.”

And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for food, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

13 This is what the Lord God says: “These are the boundaries you are to use when allocating ownership of the land to the twelve tribes of Israel (Joseph is to receive two allocations.)

Thus says the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby all of you shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

14 You are to allocate the land to them equally. I held up my hand and made a solemn promise to give it to your forefathers, so this land will come to you to own and to pass on as an inheritance.

And all of you shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

15 These shall be the country's boundaries: On the northern side it runs from the Mediterranean Sea along the Hethlon road and through Lebo-hamath to Zedad;

And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;

16 then on to Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus and Hamath, and all the way to Hazer-hatticon, on the border of Hauran.

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.

17 So the border is from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border with Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This is the northern boundary.

And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

18 The eastern boundary runs from Hauran and Damascus, down along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and on to Tamar. This is the eastern boundary.

And the east side all of you shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.

19 The southern boundary runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern boundary.

And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.

20 The Mediterranean Sea is the western boundary all the way up to a location opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the western boundary.

The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come opposite to Hamath. This is the west side.

21 You are to allocate this land for you to own according to the tribes of Israel.

So shall all of you divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

22 You are to allocate land to own and to pass on as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the foreigners who live among you who have children. You shall treat them in the same way as Israelites born in the country. They are to be given a land allocation to own among the Israelite tribes in the same way as you.

And it shall come to pass, that all of you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall brought forth children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

23 Foreigners are to be allocated land to own among the tribe where they live, declares the Lord God.”

And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourns, there shall all of you give him his inheritance, says the Lord GOD.