The Daily Audio Bible

The river

47 When he brought me back to the temple’s entrance, I noticed that water was flowing toward the east from under the temple’s threshold (the temple faced east). The water was going out from under the temple’s facade toward the south, south of the altar. ² He led me out through the north gate and around the outside to the outer east gate, where the water flowed out under the facade on the south side. ³ With the line in his hand, the man went out toward the east. When he measured off fifteen hundred feet, he made me cross the water; it was ankle-deep. ⁴ He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and made me cross the water; it was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and made me cross the water, and it was waist-high. ⁵ When he measured off another fifteen hundred feet, it had become a river that I couldn’t cross. The water was high, deep enough for swimming but too high to cross. ⁶ He said to me, “Human one, do you see?” Then he led me back to the edge of the river. ⁷ When I went back, I saw very many trees on both banks of the river. ⁸ He said to me, “These waters go out to the eastern region, flow down the steep slopes,^[a] and go into the Dead Sea.^[b] When the flowing waters enter the sea, its water becomes fresh. ⁹ Wherever the river flows, every living thing that moves will thrive. There will be great schools of fish, because when these waters enter the sea, it will be fresh. Wherever the river flows, everything will live. ¹⁰ People will stand fishing beside it, from En-gedi to En-eglayim, and it will become a place for spreading nets. It will be like the Mediterranean Sea,^[c] having all kinds of fish in it. ¹¹ Its marshes and swamps won’t be made fresh (they are left for salt), ¹² but on both banks of the river will grow up all kinds of fruit-bearing trees. Their leaves won’t wither, and their fruitfulness won’t wane. They will produce fruit in every month, because their water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for eating, their leaves for healing.”

¹³ The Lord God proclaims: These^[d] are the boundaries of the portions of land that will be distributed as an inheritance to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two portions. ¹⁴ What I swore to give to your ancestors, you will distribute as an inheritance equally. This land is given to you as an inheritance. ¹⁵ This is the boundary of the land. The northern limit begins at the Mediterranean Sea and goes in the direction of Hethlon toward Lebo-hamath, Zedad,^{[e] 16} Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Hamath), and Hazer-hatticon (that is on the boundary of Hauran). ¹⁷ So the boundary from the Mediterranean Sea^[f] to Hazar-enon will run north of the boundary of Damascus, with the boundary of Hamath to the north. This is the northern limit. ¹⁸ For the eastern limit, you will measure continuously between Hauran and Damascus and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan River as far as the Dead Sea.^[g] This is the eastern limit. ¹⁹ The southern limit runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh and from there along the border^[h] of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern limit. ²⁰ For the western limit, the Mediterranean Sea is the boundary up to Lebo-hamath. This is the western limit. ²¹ You will apportion this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. ²² When you distribute the land as an inheritance, the immigrants who reside with you and raise families among you are considered full citizens along with the Israelites. They will receive an inheritance along with you among the tribes of Israel. ²³ You will assign the immigrants’ inheritance with the tribe with whom they reside. This is what the Lord God says.

48 These are the tribes’ names: Beginning at the north, along the Hethlon road from Lebo-hamath to Hazar-enon, the boundary of Damascus with Hamath to the north, from the eastern border to the western border: Dan, one portion. ² Along the boundary of Dan from the eastern border to the western border: Asher, one portion. ³ Along the boundary of Asher from the eastern border to the western border: Naphtali, one portion. ⁴ Along the boundary of Naphtali from the eastern border to the western border: Manasseh, one portion. ⁵ Along the boundary of Manasseh from the eastern border to the western border: Ephraim, one portion. ⁶ Along the boundary of Ephraim from the eastern border to the western border: Reuben, one portion. ⁷ Along the boundary of Reuben from the eastern border to the western border: Judah, one portion.

⁸ Along the boundary of Judah from the eastern border to the western border will be the portion that you will set aside, 7.1 miles wide and the length of a tribal portion from the eastern border to the western border. The sanctuary is in its center. ⁹ The portion that you will set aside for the Lord will be 7.1 miles long and 5.68 miles^[i] wide. ¹⁰ These measurements define the holy portion for the priests: along the north, a length of 7.1 miles; along the west, a width of 2.84 miles; along the east, a width of 2.84 miles; and along the south, a length of 7.1 miles. The Lord’s sanctuary is in its center. ¹¹ This holy area is for the Zadokite priests who kept my charge and didn’t stray as the Levites did when the house of Israel strayed away from me. ¹² It belongs to them as a most special portion of the land, a most holy place, up to the border of the Levites. ¹³ The Levites’ allotment is next to the boundary of the priests, a length of 7.1 miles and a width of 2.84 miles. The entire length is 7.1 miles and the width 2.84 miles. ¹⁴ None of it will be sold, exchanged, or transferred. It is the choicest land, because it is holy to the Lord. ¹⁵ The remaining area, 1.42 miles wide and 7.1 miles long, is for ordinary use for the city, for residences, and for pastures. The city will be in the middle of it. ¹⁶ It measures 1.28 miles on its northern border, 1.28 miles on its southern border, 1.28 miles on its eastern border, and 1.28 miles on its western border. ¹⁷ There will be pastures for the city, three hundred seventy-five feet on the north side, three hundred seventy-five feet on the south side, three hundred seventy-five feet on the east side, and three hundred seventy-five feet on the west side. ¹⁸ The remaining area alongside the holy portion is 2.84 miles on the east and 2.84 miles on the west. These areas that adjoin the holy portion will produce the food for the city’s workers. ¹⁹ The city’s workers from every tribe of Israel will farm it. ²⁰ The entire portion that you will set aside is 7.1 miles by 7.1 miles, a square; it includes the holy portion in addition to the city property. ²¹ What is left on both sides of the holy portion and the city property belongs to the prince. The land from the edge of the portion of 7.1 miles, to the eastern boundary, and on the western edge of the 7.1 miles to the western boundary, belongs to the prince. It corresponds to one tribal portion. The holy portion and the temple sanctuary are in the middle of it, ²² but what belongs to the prince is separate from both the levitical property and the city property. The prince’s territory will be between the boundary of Judah and the boundary of Benjamin.

²³ Now for the rest of the tribes: From the eastern border to the western border: Benjamin, one portion. ²⁴ Along the boundary of Benjamin from the eastern border to the western border: Simeon, one portion. ²⁵ Along the boundary of Simeon from the eastern border to the western border: Issachar, one portion. ²⁶ Along the boundary of Issachar from the eastern border to the western border: Zebulun, one portion. ²⁷ Along the boundary of Zebulun from the eastern border to the western border: Gad, one portion. ²⁸ Along the boundary of Gad to the southern border, the boundary will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh and from there to the border of Egypt^[j] and to the Mediterranean Sea.^{[k] 29} This is the land that you will distribute as an inheritance for the tribes of Israel. These are their portions. This is what the Lord God says.

³⁰ These are the city exits. The north side is measured at 1.28 miles. ³¹ The gates of the city go by the names of the tribes of Israel. There are three gates on the north side: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi. ³² There are three gates on the east side along its 1.28 miles: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan. ³³ There are three gates on the south side measuring 1.28 miles: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun. ³⁴ There are three gates on the west side along its 1.28 miles: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. ³⁵ The circumference of the city is 5.1 miles. As of today, the name of the city is The Lord Is There.

Life as strangers in the world

¹¹ Dear friends, since you are immigrants and strangers in the world, I urge that you avoid worldly desires that wage war against your lives. ¹² Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil. But in the day when God visits to judge they will glorify him, because they have observed your honorable deeds.

¹³ For the sake of the Lord submit to every human institution. Do this whether it means submitting to the emperor as supreme ruler, ¹⁴ or to governors as those sent by the emperor. They are sent to punish those doing evil and to praise those doing good. ¹⁵ Submit to them because it’s God’s will that by doing good you will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Do this as God’s slaves, and yet also as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor.

¹⁸ Household slaves, submit by accepting the authority of your masters with all respect. Do this not only to good and kind masters but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ Now, it is commendable if, because of one’s understanding of God, someone should endure pain through suffering unjustly. ²⁰ But what praise comes from enduring patiently when you have sinned and are beaten for it? But if you endure steadfastly when you’ve done good and suffer for it, this is commendable before God.

²¹ You were called to this kind of endurance, because Christ suffered on your behalf. He left you an example so that you might follow in his footsteps. ²² He committed no sin, nor did he ever speak in ways meant to deceive. ²³ When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. ²⁴ He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness, having nothing to do with sin. By his wounds you were healed. ²⁵ Though you were like straying sheep, you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your lives.

3 Wives, likewise, submit to your own husbands. Do this so that even if some of them refuse to believe the word, they may be won without a word by their wives’ way of life. ² After all, they will have observed the reverent and holy manner of your lives. ³ Don’t try to make yourselves beautiful on the outside, with stylish hair or by wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Instead, make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God’s eyes. ⁵ For it was in this way that holy women who trusted in God used to make themselves beautiful, accepting the authority of their own husbands. ⁶ For example, Sarah accepted Abraham’s authority when she called him master. You have become her children when you do good and don’t respond to threats with fear.

⁷ Husbands, likewise, submit by living with your wife in ways that honor her, knowing that she is the weaker partner. Honor her all the more, as she is also a coheir of the gracious care of life. Do this so that your prayers won’t be hindered.

ז zayin

ח khet