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47 He brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, waters flowed out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house faced toward the east. The waters came down from underneath, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar. Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me around by the way outside to the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looks toward the east. Behold, waters ran out on the right side.

When the man went out eastward with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits,[a] and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through waters that were to the waist. Afterward he measured one thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be walked through.

He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen?”

Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, “These waters flow out toward the eastern region, and will go down into the Arabah. Then they will go toward the sea; and flow into the sea which will be made to flow out; and the waters will be healed. It will happen, that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, will live. Then there will be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters have come there, and the waters of the sea will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river comes. 10 It will happen, that fishermen will stand by it. From En Gedi even to En Eglaim will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceedingly many. 11 But the miry places of it, and its marshes, will not be healed. They will be given up to salt. 12 By the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, will grow every tree for food, whose leaf won’t wither, neither will its fruit fail. It will produce new fruit every month, because its waters issue out of the sanctuary. Its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for healing.”

13 The Lord Yahweh says: “This shall be the border, by which you shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers. This land will fall to you for inheritance.

15 “This shall be the border of the land:

“On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer Hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. 17 The border from the sea, shall be Hazar Enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

18 “The east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border to the east sea you shall measure. This is the east side.

19 “The south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth Kadesh, to the brook, to the great sea. This is the south side southward.

20 “The west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as opposite the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.

21 “So you shall divide this land to yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It will happen, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the aliens who live among you, who will father children among you. Then they shall be to you as the native-born among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 It shall happen, that in whatever tribe the stranger lives, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. 47:3 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

Water Flowing from the Temple

47 Then he brought me back to (A)the door of the temple, and behold, (B)water was issuing from below (C)the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of (D)the altar. Then he brought me out by way of (E)the north gate and led me around on the outside to (F)the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, (G)the man measured a thousand cubits,[a] and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, (H)“Son of man, (I)have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river (J)very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into (K)the Arabah, and enters the sea;[b] when the water flows into (L)the sea, the water will become fresh.[c] And wherever the river goes,[d] every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea[e] may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From (M)Engedi to (N)Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of (O)the Great Sea.[f] 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, (P)on both sides of the river, there will grow (Q)all kinds of trees for food. (R)Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, (S)but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and (T)their leaves for healing.”

Division of the Land

13 Thus says the Lord God: “This is the boundary[g] by which (U)you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. (V)Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And you shall divide equally what (W)I swore (X)to give to your fathers. (Y)This land shall fall to you as your inheritance.

15 “This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from (Z)the Great Sea (AA)by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to (AB)Zedad,[h] 16 (AC)Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between (AD)Damascus and (AE)Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the boundary shall run from the sea to (AF)Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north.[i] This shall be the north side.[j]

18 “On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between (AG)Gilead and the land of Israel; to (AH)the eastern sea and as far as Tamar.[k] This shall be the east side.

19 “On the south side, it shall run from (AI)Tamar as far as (AJ)the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along (AK)the Brook of Egypt[l] to (AL)the Great Sea. This shall be the south side.

20 “On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point (AM)opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side.

21 (AN)“So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 (AO)You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and (AP)for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. (AQ)They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 47:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Ezekiel 47:8 That is, the Dead Sea
  3. Ezekiel 47:8 Hebrew will be healed; also verses 9, 11
  4. Ezekiel 47:9 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; Hebrew the two rivers go
  5. Ezekiel 47:9 Hebrew lacks the waters of the sea
  6. Ezekiel 47:10 That is, the Mediterranean Sea; also verses 15, 19, 20
  7. Ezekiel 47:13 Probable reading; Hebrew The valley of the boundary
  8. Ezekiel 47:15 Septuagint; Hebrew the entrance of Zedad, Hamath
  9. Ezekiel 47:17 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  10. Ezekiel 47:17 Probable reading; Hebrew and as for the north side
  11. Ezekiel 47:18 Compare Syriac; Hebrew to the eastern sea you shall measure
  12. Ezekiel 47:19 Hebrew lacks of Egypt