< Ezekiel 47 >

1 And he causes me to turn back to the opening of the house; and behold, water is coming forth from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house [is] eastward, and the water is coming down from beneath, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.
Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.
2 And he causes me to go out the way of the gate northward, and causes me to turn around the way outside, to the gate that [is] outside, the way that is looking eastward, and behold, water is coming forth from the right side.
Next he brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and there I saw the water trickling out from the south side.
3 In the going out of the man eastward—and a line in his hand—then he measures one thousand by the cubit, and he causes me to pass over into the waters—waters [to my] ankles.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through ankle-deep water.
4 And he measures one thousand, and causes me to pass over into the waters—waters [to my] knees. And he measures one thousand, and causes me to pass over—waters [to my] loins.
Then he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through knee-deep water. Again he measured a thousand cubits and led me through waist-deep water.
5 And he measures one thousand—a stream that I am not able to pass over; for the waters have risen—waters to swim in—a stream that is not passed over.
Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming—a river that could not be crossed on foot.
6 And he says to me, “Have you seen, son of man?” And he leads me, and brings me back to the edge of the stream.
“Son of man, do you see this?” he asked. Then he led me back to the bank of the river.
7 In my turning back, then, behold, at the edge of the stream [are] very many trees, on this side and on that side.
When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river.
8 And he says to me, “These waters are going forth to the east circuit, and have gone down to the desert, and have entered the sea; they are brought forth to the sea, and the waters have been healed.
And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.
9 And it has come to pass, every living creature that teems, wherever the streams come, lives: and there has been great abundance of fish, for these waters have come there, and they are healed; and everything to where the stream comes has lived.
Wherever the river flows, there will be swarms of living creatures and a great number of fish, because it flows there and makes the waters fresh; so wherever the river flows, everything will flourish.
10 And it has come to pass, fishers stand by it, from En-Gedi even to En-Eglaim; they are a spreading place for the nets; their fish are of the same kind as the fish of the Great Sea—very many.
Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.
11 Its miry and its marshy places—they are not healed; they have been given up to salt.
But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.
12 And there comes up by the stream, on its edge, on this side and on that side, every [kind of] fruit-tree whose leaf does not fade, and its fruit is not consumed, it yields first-fruits according to its months, because its waters are coming forth from the sanctuary; and its fruits have been for food, and its leaf for medicine.”
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.”
13 Thus said Lord YHWH: “This [is] the border whereby you inherit the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph [has two] portions.
This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions.
14 And you have inherited it, one as well as another, in that I have lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers; and this land has fallen to you in inheritance.
You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with an uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will fall to you as an inheritance.
15 And this [is] the border of the land at the north quarter; from the Great Sea, the way of Hethlon, at the coming in to Zedad:
This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad,
16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, that [is] between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-Hatticon, that [is] at the coast of Havran.
Berothah, and Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
17 And the border from the sea has been Hazar-Enan, the border of Damascus, and Zaphon at the north, and the border of Hamath: and [this is] the north quarter.
So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.
18 And the east quarter [is] from between Havran, and Damascus, and Gilead, and the land of Israel, [to] the Jordan; you measure from the border on the Eastern Sea: and [this is] the east quarter.
On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Eastern Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.
19 And the south quarter southward [is] from Tamar to the waters of Meriboth-Kadesh, the stream to the Great Sea: and [this is] the south quarter southward.
On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern boundary.
20 And the west quarter [is] the Great Sea, from the border until opposite the coming in to Hamath: this [is] the west quarter.
And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.
21 And you have divided this land to yourselves, according to the tribes of Israel;
You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.
22 and it has come to pass, you separate it for an inheritance to yourselves, and to the sojourners who are sojourning in your midst, who have begotten sons in your midst, and they have been to you as native, with the sons of Israel; they are separated with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel.
You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who dwell among you and who have children. You are to treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
23 And it has come to pass, in the tribe with which the sojourner sojourns, there you give his inheritance,” a declaration of Lord YHWH.
In whatever tribe a foreigner dwells, you are to assign his inheritance there,” declares the Lord GOD.

< Ezekiel 47 >