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River of the Temple, Division of the Land and Its Boundaries

47 And he brought me back to the doorway of the temple and, look! There was water coming out from under the threshold of the temple eastward, because the face of the temple was eastwards; and the water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, from south of the altar. And he brought me out by the way of the north gate and he led me around by the way leading to the outside of the outer gate[a] by way of the gate facing east, and look, there was water trickling from the south side. As the man went eastward a measuring line was in his hand, and he measured a thousand cubits.[b] And he led me through on into the water; it was ankle deep.[c] And he measured a thousand cubits,[d] and he brought me over into the waters and it was knee deep.[e] And he measured a thousand cubits,[f] and he brought me over into the waters and it was waist deep.[g] And he measured a thousand cubits,[h] and it became a stream that I was not able to cross, because the water rose, waters a person could swim in,[i] and became a stream that could not be crossed. And he asked me, “Son of man,[j] did you see this?” And he made me go, and he brought me back along the bank of the stream.

When I returned,[k] then look! On the bank of the river were many trees on both sides.[l] And he said to me, “These waters are going out to the eastern region, and they go down to the Jordan Valley,[m] and they come to the sea[n] and flow into the sea where they issue out,[o] and the waters in the sea will be healed.[p] And then every living creature with which it teems,[q] to every place the waters come[r] it will live; and very many fish will live because these waters came there, and so the water will be healed[s] and everything will be alive everywhere that[t] the stream will come.[u] 10 And then fishers[v] from En Gedi and on up to En Eglaim will stand beside it, a sea-girt drying yard for nets; their fish for the dragnets will be of every kind,[w] like the fish of the great sea,[x] and very many. 11 But its marshes and its swamps will not be cured, for they were given for salt. 12 And along the stream will go up on its banks from both sides[y] every tree producing food;[z] its leaf will not wither and it will not cease producing its fruit. Every month[aa] it will bear early fruit, for its waters are going out from the sanctuary, and its fruit will be as food, and its leaf for healing.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 47:2 Literally “way of the outside to the gate of the outside”
  2. Ezekiel 47:3 Literally “in the cubit”; about 1,750 feet
  3. Ezekiel 47:3 Literally “water of ankles”
  4. Ezekiel 47:4 About 1,750 feet
  5. Ezekiel 47:4 Literally “water of knees”
  6. Ezekiel 47:4 About 1,750 feet
  7. Ezekiel 47:4 Literally “water of waist”
  8. Ezekiel 47:5 About 1,750 feet
  9. Ezekiel 47:5 Literally “water of swimming”
  10. Ezekiel 47:6 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  11. Ezekiel 47:7 Literally “At my returning”
  12. Ezekiel 47:7 Literally “from this and from this”
  13. Ezekiel 47:8 Literally “Arabah”
  14. Ezekiel 47:8 Clearly refers to the Dead Sea
  15. Ezekiel 47:8 Literally “being brought out/are issued out”
  16. Ezekiel 47:8 Or “made fresh”
  17. Ezekiel 47:9 Or “swarms”
  18. Ezekiel 47:9 Literally “to all of which they come there the water”
  19. Ezekiel 47:9 Or “fresh”
  20. Ezekiel 47:9 Literally “all that”
  21. Ezekiel 47:9 Literally “that it will come there the stream”
  22. Ezekiel 47:10 Or “fishermen”
  23. Ezekiel 47:10 Literally “to the”
  24. Ezekiel 47:10 That is, the Mediterranean
  25. Ezekiel 47:12 Literally “from this and from this”
  26. Ezekiel 47:12 Literally “of food”
  27. Ezekiel 47:12 Literally “for its months”

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.”

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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.