Boundaries and Division of the Land

13 This is what the Lord [a]God says: “This shall be the (A)boundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two (B)portions. 14 And you shall divide it for an inheritance, each one [b]equally with the other; for I [c](C)swore to give it to your forefathers, and this land shall fall to you [d]as an inheritance.

15 “And this shall be the boundary of the land: on the (D)north side, from the Great Sea by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of [e](E)Zedad; 16 [f](F)Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of (G)Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary shall [g]extend from the sea to (H)Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, and on the north toward the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

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

19 “The (L)south side toward the south shall extend from (M)Tamar as far as the waters of (N)Meribath-kadesh, to the (O)brook of Egypt and to the (P)Great Sea. This is the south side toward the south.

20 “And the (Q)west side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border to a point opposite [h](R)Lebo-hamath. This is the west side.

21 “So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall divide it by (S)lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the (T)strangers who stay in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an (U)inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And in the tribe with which the stranger resides, there you shall give him his inheritance,” declares the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 47:13 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 47:14 Lit like his brother
  3. Ezekiel 47:14 Lit lifted up My hand
  4. Ezekiel 47:14 Lit in
  5. Ezekiel 47:15 As in MT; LXX Hamath, Zedad; cf. 48:1
  6. Ezekiel 47:16 Or LXX Berothah
  7. Ezekiel 47:17 Lit be
  8. Ezekiel 47:20 Or the entrance of Hamath

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”