Ezekiel 47:1-12
World English Bible
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. 2 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.
3 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. 4 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. 5 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.
6 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. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 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. 9 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.”
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- 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.
Ezekiel 47:1-12
International Standard Version
The Vision of the Temple River
47 After this, he brought me back to the doorway to the Temple. To my amazement, there was water flowing out toward the east from beneath the threshold of the Temple! (The Temple faced eastward.) The water flowed down from beneath the right side of the Temple,[a] that is, from the south-facing side where the altar was located. 2 Then he brought me out through the north gateway and around to the one outside that faces toward the east. To my amazement, water was trickling out from that part of[b] the south side, too!
3 As the man went out toward the east, he carried a measuring line in his hand. He measured out 1,000 cubits[c] as he led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 Then he measured out another 1,000 cubits,[d] where he led me through water that was knee-deep. And then he measured out another 1,000 cubits,[e] where the water was waist-deep. 5 When he had measured out another 1,000 cubits,[f] the water had become deep enough that I wasn’t able to ford it. Instead, I would have had to swim through it.
6 Then, as he was bringing me back along the river bank, he asked me, “Son of Man, did you see all of this?” 7 As we were coming back, I was amazed to see that there were many, many trees lining both banks of the river. 8 He told me, “This river flows toward the eastern territories all the way down into the Arabah,[g] and from there its water flows toward the Dead[h] Sea, where the sea water turns fresh. 9 It will support all kinds of living creatures that will thrive abundantly wherever the river flows. There will be a great many fish, because this water will flow there and turn the salt water fresh. As a result, everything will live wherever the river flows. 10 A day will come when fishermen will line its banks—from En-gedi to En-eglaim[i] there will be plenty of room to spread out nets. There will be all sorts of species of fish, as abundant as the fish that live in the Mediterranean[j] Sea. There will be lots of them!
11 “The river delta[k] will consist of swamps and marshes that will remain a salt water wetland preserve. 12 Lining each side of the river banks, all sorts of species of fruit trees will be growing. Their leaves will never wither and their fruit will never fail. They will bear fruit every month, because the water that nourishes them will be flowing from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves will contain substances that promote healing.”
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- Ezekiel 47:1 I.e. the right side as one inside the temple faced toward the east.
- Ezekiel 47:2 The Heb. lacks that part of
- Ezekiel 47:3 I.e. about 1,750 feet; a royal cubit was about 21 inches
- Ezekiel 47:4 The Heb. lacks cubits
- Ezekiel 47:4 The Heb. lacks cubits
- Ezekiel 47:5 The Heb. lacks cubits
- Ezekiel 47:8 I.e. Israel’s southern desert areas including from the Sea of Galilee to the Red Sea through the Dead Sea
- Ezekiel 47:8 The Heb. lacks Dead
- Ezekiel 47:10 I.e. a city probably located on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, not far from En-gedi, perhaps modern ‘Ain Feshka
- Ezekiel 47:10 Lit. Great
- Ezekiel 47:11 The Heb. lacks delta
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