Ezekiel 47

¹ He brought me back to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar.

² He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side.

³ The man went to the east holding his measuring line and measured off a thousand cubits; he then made me wade across the stream; the water reached my ankles.

⁴ He measured off another thousand and made me wade across the stream again; the water reached my knees. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across again; the water reached my waist.

⁵ He measured off another thousand; it was now a river which I could not cross; the stream had swollen and was now deep water, a river impossible to cross.

⁶ He then said, ‘Do you see, son of man?’ He took me further, then brought me back to the bank of the river.

⁷ When I got back, there were many trees on each bank of the river.

⁸ He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome.

⁹ Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows.

¹⁰ There will be fishermen on its banks. Fishing nets will be spread from En-gedi to En-eglaim. The fish will be as varied and as plentiful as the fish of the Great Sea[*a]

¹¹ The marshes and lagoons, however, will not become wholesome, but will remain salt.

¹² Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.

¹³ ‘The Lord Yahweh says this: Here are the frontiers of the territories to be allotted between the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph.

¹⁴ You must share it out equally between you, since I swore to your fathers that I would give them this land which now falls to you as your inheritance.

¹⁵ Here are the frontiers of the land. On the north, from the Great Sea by way of Hethion to the Pass of Hamath and on to Zedad,

¹⁶ Berothah, Sibraim lying between the territories of Damascus and Hamath – and to Hazer-hat-ticon on the borders of Hauran.

¹⁷ The frontier will extend from the sea to Hazer-enon, marching with the frontier of Damascus to the north of it and the frontier of Hamath also on the north; so much for the northern frontier.

¹⁸ On the east is the Jordan will serve as frontier between Hauran and Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel, down to the Eastern Sea[*b] as far as Tamar; so much for the eastern frontier.

¹⁹ On the south, from Tamar southward to the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, to the Wadi and the Great Sea; so much for the southern frontier.

²⁰ On the west the Great Sea will serve as frontier up to the point opposite the Pass of Hamath; so much for the western frontier.

²¹ You are to share out this land among yourselves, between the tribes of Israel.

²² You are to divide it into inheritances for yourselves and the aliens settled among you who have begotten children with you, since you are to treat them as citizens of Israel. They are to draw lots with you for their inheritance, with the tribes of Israel.

²³ You must give the alien his inheritance in the tribe in which he is living – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.