Ezekiel 47

1 Then, [in the vision], the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple. There I saw water flowing out from under the entrance, flowing toward the east. The water was flowing from under the south side of the entrance, south of the altar.

And he causes me to turn back to the opening of the house; and behold, water is coming forth from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house [is] eastward, and the water is coming down from beneath, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.

2 Then the man brought me out of the inner courtyard through the north entryway, and then he led me around to the outer entryway on the east side [of the inner courtyard].

And he causes me to go out the way of the gate northward, and causes me to turn around the way outside, to the gate that [is] outside, the way that is looking eastward, and behold, water is coming forth from the right side.

3 As the man continued walking toward the east, he had a measuring line in his hand. He measured off (1,750 feet/530 meters), and then led me through water that covered my ankles.

In the going out of the man eastward—and a line in his hand—then he measures one thousand by the cubit, and he causes me to pass over into the waters—waters [to my] ankles.

4 Then he measured off another (1,750 feet/530 meters) and led me through water that was up to my knees. Then he measured off another (1,750 feet/530 meters) and led me through water that was up to my waist.

And he measures one thousand, and causes me to pass over into the waters—waters [to my] knees. And he measures one thousand, and causes me to pass over—waters [to my] loins.

5 Then he measured off another (1,750 feet/530 meters) and led me through water that had become a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen [very high, with the result that] it would be necessary to swim across it. It was a river that no one could cross [by walking across it].

And he measures one thousand—a stream that I am not able to pass over; for the waters have risen—waters to swim in—a stream that is not passed over.

6 Then he said to me, “You human, think carefully about what you have seen.”

And he says to me, “Have you seen, son of man?” And he leads me, and brings me back to the edge of the stream.

7 Then he led me to the bank of that river. There I saw many trees growing on each side of the river.

In my turning back, then, behold, at the edge of the stream [are] very many trees, on this side and on that side.

8 He said to me, “This water flows east and down into the [Dead] Sea. And when it flows into the [Dead] Sea, its salty water becomes fresh.

And he says to me, “These waters are going forth to the east circuit, and have gone down to the desert, and have entered the sea; they are brought forth to the sea, and the waters have been healed.

9 Wherever the river flows, there will be lots of animals and fish. And there will be lots of fish in the [Dead] Sea, because the water that flows into it will cause the salt water to become (fresh water/water that people can drink). Wherever the river flows, everything [alongside it] will flourish.

And it has come to pass, every living creature that teems, wherever the streams come, lives: and there has been great abundance of fish, for these waters have come there, and they are healed; and everything to where the stream comes has lived.

10 Fishermen will stand along the bank [of the Dead Sea to catch fish]. From En-Gedi [on the western side] to En-Eglaim [on the eastern side] there will be places [for fishermen] to spread their fishing nets. There will be many kinds of fish, like there are in the Mediterranean Sea.

And it has come to pass, fishers stand by it, from En-Gedi even to En-Eglaim; they are a spreading place for the nets; their fish are of the same kind as the fish of the Great Sea—very many.

11 But the swamps and marshes [along the shore] will not become fresh; they will be left to the people to use make salt.

Its miry and its marshy places—they are not healed; they have been given up to salt.

12 Many kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and they will always have fruit. They will bear fruit every month, because [they will continually get water from] the water [that comes] from the temple. Their fruit will be good to eat and their leaves will be [good] for healing.”

And there comes up by the stream, on its edge, on this side and on that side, every [kind of] fruit-tree whose leaf does not fade, and its fruit is not consumed, it yields first-fruits according to its months, because its waters are coming forth from the sanctuary; and its fruits have been for food, and its leaf for medicine.”

13 [In the vision], Yahweh [also] said this to me: “Here is a list of the twelve tribes of Israel and the territory that each tribe must receive. [The descendants of] Joseph will receive two portions; [the tribe of Levi will not receive any].

Thus said Lord YHWH: “This [is] the border whereby you inherit the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph [has two] portions.

14 I lifted up my arm and solemnly declared to your ancestors that I would give you this land to own permanently. [So divide the land equally among all of the other tribes].

And you have inherited it, one as well as another, in that I have lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers; and this land has fallen to you in inheritance.

15 These will be the boundaries of the land: On the north side, [it will extend] from the Mediterranean Sea east along the road to Hethlon, past Lebo-Hamath to Zedad,

And this [is] the border of the land at the north quarter; from the Great Sea, the way of Hethlon, at the coming in to Zedad:

16 to [the cities of] Berothah and Sibraim, which are on the border between Damascus and Hamath. [From there the boundary will extend] as far [the city of] Hazer-Hatticon, which is on the border of the Hauran [region].

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, that [is] between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-Hatticon, that [is] at the coast of Havran.

17 So the boundary will extend from the [Mediterranean] Sea to [the city of] Hazar-Enan on the border between Hamath to the north and Damascus [to the south]. That will be the northern boundary.

And the border from the sea has been Hazar-Enan, the border of Damascus, and Zaphon at the north, and the border of Hamath: and [this is] the north quarter.

18 On the east side, the boundary [will extend] between Hauran and Damascus, [south] along the Jordan [River] between the Gilead [region] and the land of Israel, along the Dead Sea as far as [the town of] Tamar. That will be the eastern boundary.

And the east quarter [is] from between Havran, and Damascus, and Gilead, and the land of Israel, [to] the Jordan; you measure from the border on the Eastern Sea: and [this is] the east quarter.

19 On the south side, the boundary will extend from Tamar [southwest] to the springs near [the town of] Meribah-Kadesh. Then [the boundary will extend west] along the dry riverbed [at the border] of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. That will be the southern boundary.

And the south quarter southward [is] from Tamar to the waters of Meriboth-Kadesh, the stream to the Great Sea: and [this is] the south quarter southward.

20 On the west side, the boundary will be the Mediterranean Sea, north to near Lebo-Hamath.

And the west quarter [is] the Great Sea, from the border until opposite the coming in to Hamath: this [is] the west quarter.

21 You must distribute this land among yourselves, among the tribes of Israel.

And you have divided this land to yourselves, according to the tribes of Israel;

22 You must allot the land to be a permanent possession for yourselves, and [also] to be a permanent possession of any foreigners who are living among you and raising their children. You must consider those people to be like you who were born Israelis, and they must be allotted land among the tribes of Israel.

and it has come to pass, you separate it for an inheritance to yourselves, and to the sojourners who are sojourning in your midst, who have begotten sons in your midst, and they have been to you as native, with the sons of Israel; they are separated with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel.

23 Wherever foreigners are living, you must give them some land to belong to them permanently. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.”

And it has come to pass, in the tribe with which the sojourner sojourns, there you give his inheritance,” a declaration of Lord YHWH.