Ezekiel 47

1 Then he brought me back unto the entrance of the house, and lo! waters coming forth from under the threshold of the house eastward, because the front of the house, was to the east, —and the waters, were coming down from beneath, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.

Then, [in the vision], the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple. There I saw water flowing out from under the entrance, flowing toward the east. The water was flowing from under the south side of the entrance, south of the altar.

2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and took me round by an outer way, unto an outer gate that which looketh eastward—and lo! waters trickling forth out of the right side.

Then the man brought me out of the inner courtyard through the north entryway, and then he led me around to the outer entryway on the east side [of the inner courtyard].

3 When the man went forth with a measuring line in his hand, then measured he a thousand, by the cubit, and caused me to pass through the waters—waters reaching to the ankles.

As the man continued walking toward the east, he had a measuring line in his hand. He measured off (1,750 feet/530 meters), and then led me through water that covered my ankles.

4 Then measured he a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters—waters reaching to the knees, —and again measured he a thousand, and caused me to pass through-waters reaching to the loins.

Then he measured off another (1,750 feet/530 meters) and led me through water that was up to my knees. Then he measured off another (1,750 feet/530 meters) and led me through water that was up to my waist.

5 Then measured he a thousand—a river which I could not pass through—for the waters had risen-waters to swim in, a river, that could not be forded.

Then he measured off another (1,750 feet/530 meters) and led me through water that had become a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen [very high, with the result that] it would be necessary to swim across it. It was a river that no one could cross [by walking across it].

6 Then said he unto me Hast thou seen son of man? Then he took me along and caused me to return to the bank of the river.

Then he said to me, “You human, think carefully about what you have seen.”

7 When I returned, then lo! by the bank of the river, trees very many, —on this side and on that side.

Then he led me to the bank of that river. There I saw many trees growing on each side of the river.

8 And he said unto me, These waters, are going forth unto the region toward the east and shall go down unto the waste plain, and shall enter the sea, unto the sea being led forth, then shall the waters be healed;

He said to me, “This water flows east and down into the [Dead] Sea. And when it flows into the [Dead] Sea, its salty water becomes fresh.

9 And it shall come to pass that every living soul that swarmeth whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live, and the fish shall become a very great multitude; for these waters have come thither, that they may be healed so shall everything live whithersoever the river cometh.

Wherever the river flows, there will be lots of animals and fish. And there will be lots of fish in the [Dead] Sea, because the water that flows into it will cause the salt water to become (fresh water/water that people can drink). Wherever the river flows, everything [alongside it] will flourish.

10 And it shall come to pass that there shall stand by it fishers, from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim, places for spreading out nets, shall they be, —after their kind, shall be their fish, like the fish of the great sea exceeding many.

Fishermen will stand along the bank [of the Dead Sea to catch fish]. From En-Gedi [on the western side] to En-Eglaim [on the eastern side] there will be places [for fishermen] to spread their fishing nets. There will be many kinds of fish, like there are in the Mediterranean Sea.

11 the swamps thereof and the pools thereof, shall not be healed to salt, have they been given up.

But the swamps and marshes [along the shore] will not become fresh; they will be left to the people to use make salt.

12 And, by the river, shall grow up on the bank thereof on this side and on that side every tree for food the leaf whereof, shall not fade, neither shall fail the fruit thereof, by its months, shall it break forth, for, as for the waters thereof, out of the sanctuary, are they coming forth, —and the fruit thereof shall be, for food, and, the leaf thereof, for healing.

Many kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and they will always have fruit. They will bear fruit every month, because [they will continually get water from] the water [that comes] from the temple. Their fruit will be good to eat and their leaves will be [good] for healing.”

13 Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, This shall be the boundary whereby ye shall take your inheritances in the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel, —Joseph shall have portions.

[In the vision], Yahweh [also] said this to me: “Here is a list of the twelve tribes of Israel and the territory that each tribe must receive. [The descendants of] Joseph will receive two portions; [the tribe of Levi will not receive any].

14 so shall ye inherit it each man like his brother, as to which I lifted my hand to give it to your fathers, —so shall this land fall to you as an inheritance.

I lifted up my arm and solemnly declared to your ancestors that I would give you this land to own permanently. [So divide the land equally among all of the other tribes].

15 This then shall be the boundary of the land, —on the north side, from the great sea by the way of Hethlon to the entering, in of Zedad;

These will be the boundaries of the land: On the north side, [it will extend] from the Mediterranean Sea east along the road to Hethlon, past Lebo-Hamath to Zedad,

16 Hamath Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Hamath, —Hazer-hatticon, which is by the boundary of Hauran.

to [the cities of] Berothah and Sibraim, which are on the border between Damascus and Hamath. [From there the boundary will extend] as far [the city of] Hazer-Hatticon, which is on the border of the Hauran [region].

17 Thus shall there be a boundary, from the sea Hazar-enin the boundary of Damascus, even the north northward and the boundary of Hamath, —even the north, side.

So the boundary will extend from the [Mediterranean] Sea to [the city of] Hazar-Enan on the border between Hamath to the north and Damascus [to the south]. That will be the northern boundary.

18 And for the east side, from between Hauran and Damascus and from between Gilead and the land of Israel the Jordan, from the boundary by the sea eastward, shall ye measure—even the east side.

On the east side, the boundary [will extend] between Hauran and Damascus, [south] along the Jordan [River] between the Gilead [region] and the land of Israel, along the Dead Sea as far as [the town of] Tamar. That will be the eastern boundary.

19 And for the south side southward, from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, towards the torrent bed unto the great sea, —even the south side southward.

On the south side, the boundary will extend from Tamar [southwest] to the springs near [the town of] Meribah-Kadesh. Then [the boundary will extend west] along the dry riverbed [at the border] of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. That will be the southern boundary.

20 And for the west side, the great sea, from the boundary as far as over against the entering in of Hamath— this is the west side.

On the west side, the boundary will be the Mediterranean Sea, north to near Lebo-Hamath.

21 So then ye shall apportion this land to you by the tribes of Israel. —

You must distribute this land among yourselves, among the tribes of Israel.

22 And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide it by lot as an inheritance, to yourselves and to the sojourners who are sojourning in your midst, who have begotten children in your midst, —so shall they be to you as a native among the sons of Israel with you, shall they cast lots for an inheritance, in the midst of the tribes of Israel.

You must allot the land to be a permanent possession for yourselves, and [also] to be a permanent possession of any foreigners who are living among you and raising their children. You must consider those people to be like you who were born Israelis, and they must be allotted land among the tribes of Israel.

23 And it shall be that with whatsoever tribe the sojourner hath become a sojourner, there shall ye give his inheritance, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

Wherever foreigners are living, you must give them some land to belong to them permanently. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.”