Ezekiel 47
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Life-Giving River
47 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple towards the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.(A) 2 Next he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me round the outside to the outer gate that faced east; there the water was trickling from the south side. 3 As the man went out east with a measuring line in his hand,(B) he measured off five hundred and thirty metres[a] and led me through the water. It came up to my ankles. 4 Then he measured off five hundred and thirty metres and led me through the water. It came up to my knees. He measured off another five hundred and thirty metres and led me through the water. It came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured off five hundred and thirty metres, and it was a river that I could not cross on foot. For the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed on foot.
6 He asked me, ‘Do you see this, son of man? ’ Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I had returned, I saw a very large number of trees along both sides of the riverbank.(C) 8 He said to me, ‘This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah. When it enters the sea, the sea of foul water,[b][c] the water of the sea becomes fresh.(D) 9 Every kind of living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows,[d] and there will be a huge number of fish because this water goes there. Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside it from En-gedi to En-eglaim.[e] These will become places where nets are spread out to dry. Their fish will consist of many different kinds, like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.(E) 11 Yet its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be left for salt. 12 All kinds of trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.(F) Each month they will bear fresh fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for eating and their leaves for healing.’(G)
The Borders of the Land
13 This is what the Lord God says: ‘This is[f] the border you will use to divide the land(H) as an inheritance for the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two shares.(I) 14 You will inherit it in equal portions, since I swore[g] to give it to your ancestors.(J) So this land will fall to you as an inheritance.
15 This is to be the border of the land:
On the north side(K) it will extend from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad,[h] 16 Berothah, and Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the border will run from the sea to Hazar-enon at the border(L) of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.
18 On the east side it will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; you will measure from the northern border to the eastern sea.[i] This will be the eastern side.
19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the Waters of Meribath-kadesh,[j] and on to the Brook of Egypt(M) as far as the Mediterranean Sea.(N) This will be the southern side.
20 On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border, from the southern border up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.
21 ‘You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.(O) 22 You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you,(P) who have fathered children among you. You will treat them[k] like native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, you will assign his inheritance there.’ This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Footnotes
- 47:3 Lit 1,000 cubits, also in vv. 4,5
- 47:8 Or enters the sea, being brought out to the sea; Hb obscure
- 47:8 = the Dead Sea
- 47:9 LXX, Vg; MT reads the two rivers flow
- 47:10 Two springs near the Dead Sea
- 47:13 Tg, Vg; Syr reads The valley of
- 47:14 Lit lifted my hand
- 47:15 LXX; MT reads and Lebo to Zedad, Hamath; Ezk 48:1
- 47:18 = the Dead Sea
- 47:19 = Kadesh-barnea
- 47:22 Lit They will be to you
Ezekiel 47
New International Version
The River From the Temple
47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water(A) coming out 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.(B) 2 He then brought me out through the north gate(C) and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.
3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line(D) in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river(E) that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.(F) 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.(G) 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,[b](H) where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh.(I) 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.(J) 10 Fishermen(K) will stand along the shore; from En Gedi(L) to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets.(M) The fish will be of many kinds(N)—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.(O) 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.(P) 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.(Q) Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit(R) fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary(S) flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.(T)”
The Boundaries of the Land
13 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the boundaries(U) of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph.(V) 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.(W)
15 “This is to be the boundary of the land:(X)
“On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea(Y) by the Hethlon road(Z) past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, 16 Berothah[c](AA) and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath),(AB) as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,[d] along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.(AC)
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.[e] This will be the eastern boundary.(AD)
19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh,(AE) then along the Wadi of Egypt(AF) to the Mediterranean Sea.(AG) This will be the southern boundary.
20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath.(AH) This will be the western boundary.(AI)
21 “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance(AJ) for yourselves and for the foreigners(AK) 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.(AL) 23 In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.(AM)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 47:3 That is, about 1,700 feet or about 530 meters
- Ezekiel 47:8 Or the Jordan Valley
- Ezekiel 47:16 See Septuagint and 48:1; Hebrew road to go into Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah.
- Ezekiel 47:17 Hebrew Enon, a variant of Enan
- Ezekiel 47:18 See Syriac; Hebrew Israel. You will measure to the Dead Sea.
Ezekiel 47
King James Version
47 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
13 Thus saith the Lord God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.
14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.
15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;
16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.
17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.
18 And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.
19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.
20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.
21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God.
Ezekiel 47
Good News Translation
The Stream Flowing from the Temple
47 (A)The man led me back to the entrance of the Temple. Water was coming out from under the entrance and flowing east, the direction the Temple faced. It was flowing down from under the south part of the Temple past the south side of the altar. 2 The man then took me out of the Temple area by way of the north gate and led me around to the gate that faces east. A small stream of water was flowing out at the south side of the gate. 3 With his measuring rod the man measured 560 yards downstream to the east and told me to wade through the stream there. The water came only to my ankles. 4 Then he measured another 560 yards, and the water came up to my knees. Another 560 yards farther down, the water was up to my waist. 5 He measured 560 yards more, and there the stream was so deep I could not wade through it. It was too deep to cross except by swimming. 6 He said to me, “Mortal man, note all this carefully.”
Then the man took me back to the riverbank, 7 and when I got there, I saw that there were very many trees on each bank. 8 He said to me, “This water flows through the land to the east and down into the Jordan Valley and to the Dead Sea. When it flows into the Dead Sea, it replaces the salt water of that sea with fresh water. 9 Wherever the stream flows, there will be all kinds of animals and fish. The stream will make the water of the Dead Sea fresh, and wherever it flows, it will bring life. 10 From the Springs of Engedi all the way to the Springs of Eneglaim, there will be fishermen on the shore of the sea, and they will spread out their nets there to dry. There will be as many different kinds of fish there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the water in the marshes and ponds along the shore will not be made fresh. They will remain there as a source of salt. 12 (B)On each bank of the stream all kinds of trees will grow to provide food. Their leaves will never wither, and they will never stop bearing fruit. They will have fresh fruit every month, because they are watered by the stream that flows from the Temple. The trees will provide food, and their leaves will be used for healing people.”
The Boundaries of the Land
13 The Sovereign Lord said, “These are the boundaries of the land that is to be divided among the twelve tribes, with the tribe of Joseph receiving two sections.[a] 14 I solemnly promised your ancestors that I would give them possession of this land; now divide it equally among you.
15 “The northern boundary runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad,[b] 16 to the cities of Berothah and Sibraim (they are located between the territory of the kingdom of Damascus and that of the kingdom of Hamath), and to the city of Ticon (located by the border of the district of Hauran). 17 So the northern boundary runs from the Mediterranean eastward to Enon City, with the border regions of Damascus and Hamath to the north of it.
18 “The eastern boundary runs south from a point between the territory of Damascus and that of Hauran, with the Jordan River forming the boundary between the land of Israel on the west and Gilead on the east, as far as Tamar[c] on the Dead Sea.
19 “The southern boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh Meribah and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.
20 “The western boundary is formed by the Mediterranean and runs north to a point west of Hamath Pass.
21 “Divide this land among your tribes; 22 it is to be your permanent possession. The foreigners who are living among you and who have had children born here are also to receive their share of the land when you divide it. They are to be treated like full Israelite citizens and are to draw lots for shares of the land along with the tribes of Israel. 23 All foreign residents will receive their share with the people of the tribe among whom they are living. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 47:13 The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, were each given one section.
- Ezekiel 47:15 One ancient translation Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad; Hebrew Zedad Pass to the city of Hamath.
- Ezekiel 47:18 Some ancient translations Tamar; Hebrew unclear.
Ezekiel 47
New King James Version
The Healing Waters and Trees
47 Then he brought me back to the door of the [a]temple; and there was (A)water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces (B)east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
3 And when (C)the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many (D)trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the [b]valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever [c]the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish (E)of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 (F)Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; (G)their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for (H)medicine.”[d]
Borders of the Land(I)
13 Thus says the Lord God: “These are the (J)borders by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. (K)Joseph shall have two portions. 14 You shall inherit it equally with one another; for I (L)raised My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall (M)fall to you as your inheritance.
15 “This shall be the border of the land on the north: from the Great Sea, by (N)the road to Hethlon, as one goes to (O)Zedad, 16 (P)Hamath, (Q)Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazar Hatticon (which is on the border of Hauran). 17 Thus the boundary shall be from the Sea to (R)Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus; and as for the north, northward, it is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
18 “On the east side you shall mark out the border from between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan, and along the eastern side of the sea. This is the east side.
19 “The south side, toward the [e]South, shall be from Tamar to (S)the waters of [f]Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the South.
20 “The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the southern boundary until one comes to a point opposite Hamath. This is the west side.
21 “Thus you shall (T)divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall be that you will divide it by (U)lot as an inheritance for yourselves, (V)and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. (W)They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord God.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 47:1 Lit. house
- Ezekiel 47:8 Or Arabah, the Jordan Valley
- Ezekiel 47:9 Lit. two rivers
- Ezekiel 47:12 Or healing
- Ezekiel 47:19 Heb. Negev
- Ezekiel 47:19 Lit. Strife
Copyright © 2024 by Holman Bible Publishers.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


