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The Borders of the Land

13 Thus says the Lord God: This shall be the border by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 You shall divide it for an inheritance, one as equally as another. For I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you for inheritance.

15 This shall be the border of the land on the north: from the Mediterranean Sea by the way of Hethlon as men go to Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which lies between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazar Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 The border from the sea shall be Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

18 The east side, from Hauran and from Damascus and from Gilead and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan. You shall measure from the northern border to the eastern sea. And this is the east side.

19 The south side, toward the Negev, shall run from Tamar even to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, from there along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This shall be the south side, toward the Negev.

20 The west side also shall be the Mediterranean Sea from the southern border to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This is the west side.

21 So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall come to pass that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the aliens who sojourn among you, who shall bear sons among you. And they shall be to you as born in the country among the sons of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 It shall come to pass that in whatever tribe the alien sojourns, there you shall give him his inheritance, says the Lord God.

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13 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “This is the boundary by which you shall distribute the land for the twelve[a] tribes of Israel: Two shares shall be for Joseph. 14 And you must take possession of it, each one a share like his brother, of this land which I swore[b] to give it to your fathers, and so this land shall fall to you as an inheritance. 15 And[c] this is the boundary of the land: On the north side,[d] from the great sea by the way of Hethlon until you come to Zedad,[e] 16 Hamath[f] to Berothath to Sibraim, which is[g] between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Hamath, on to Hazer Hatticon, which is on the boundary of Hauran. 17 And so the boundary will be from the sea[h] to Hazar Enan at the boundary of Damascus northwards and the boundary of Hamath to the north, and this is the boundary on the side of the north. 18 And the eastern boundary[i] will be between Hauran and Damascus, and from between Gilead and the land of Israel along the Jordan River from[j] the boundary on the eastern sea to Tamar. And[k] this is the border on the east.[l] 19 And on the south side the border[m] will run from Tamar up to the waters of Meribot Kadesh and along the wadi[n] to the Great Sea.[o] And this is the boundary to the south.[p] 20 And on the west side[q] the Great Sea[r] shall be the boundary up to opposite Lebo-Hamath. This is the western boundary.[s]

21 You shall divide this land for yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 And then you shall allocate it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens dwelling as aliens in the midst of you who have children in the midst of you, and so they shall be to you just like full citizens among the Israelites.[t] With you they shall be allotted with an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. 23 And then in the tribe in which an alien who is with you dwells, there you shall give his inheritance,” declares[u] the Lord Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 47:13 Literally “two ten”
  2. Ezekiel 47:14 Literally “I raised my hand”
  3. Ezekiel 47:15 Or “Bow”
  4. Ezekiel 47:15 Literally “to the side of the north”
  5. Ezekiel 47:15 Literally “to the arriving at Zedad”
  6. Ezekiel 47:16 Or “Lebo-Hamath to Zeded” (cf. NRSV, NJPS)
  7. Ezekiel 47:16 Or “are”
  8. Ezekiel 47:17 That is, the Mediterranean
  9. Ezekiel 47:18 Literally “and the side of the east”
  10. Ezekiel 47:18 Or “to”
  11. Ezekiel 47:18 Or “Now”
  12. Ezekiel 47:18 Literally “and this is the side of the east”
  13. Ezekiel 47:19 Literally “and the side of the south to south”
  14. Ezekiel 47:19 That is, the Wadi of Egypt
  15. Ezekiel 47:19 That is, the Mediterranean
  16. Ezekiel 47:19 Literally “and this is the side of south to the south”
  17. Ezekiel 47:20 Literally “and the side of the west”
  18. Ezekiel 47:20 That is, the Mediterranean
  19. Ezekiel 47:20 Literally “this is the side of the west”
  20. Ezekiel 47:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  21. Ezekiel 47:23 Literally “declaration of”

The Boundaries of the Land

13 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the boundaries(A) of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph.(B) 14 You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors, this land will become your inheritance.(C)

15 “This is to be the boundary of the land:(D)

“On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea(E) by the Hethlon road(F) past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, 16 Berothah[a](G) and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath),(H) as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,[b] along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.(I)

18 “On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar.[c] This will be the eastern boundary.(J)

19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh,(K) then along the Wadi of Egypt(L) to the Mediterranean Sea.(M) This will be the southern boundary.

20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath.(N) This will be the western boundary.(O)

21 “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance(P) for yourselves and for the foreigners(Q) residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.(R) 23 In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.(S)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 47:16 See Septuagint and 48:1; Hebrew road to go into Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah.
  2. Ezekiel 47:17 Hebrew Enon, a variant of Enan
  3. Ezekiel 47:18 See Syriac; Hebrew Israel. You will measure to the Dead Sea.