Ezekiel 47

1 Afterward he brought me again to the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the front of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

The man took me back to the Temple entrance. I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the Temple and flowing east (because the Temple faced east). The water was coming from under the south side of the Temple and ran south of the altar.

2 Then he brought me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way outside to the outer gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

Then he took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east. I saw water was trickling out from the south side of the gate.

3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

The man walked east holding a measuring line He measured a thousand cubits and led me through the water which came up to my ankles.

4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

He measured another thousand cubits and led me through water which came up to my knees. He measured another thousand cubits and led me through water that came up to my waist.

5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

He measured another thousand cubits, but this was a river I couldn't cross. The water had risen so high you could swim in it. It was a river that couldn't be crossed on foot.

6 And he said to me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

“Son of man, have you observed all this?” he asked. Then he took me back to the riverbank.

7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

When I got there, I saw a large number of trees on both sides of the river.

8 Then said he to me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

He told me, “This water flows out into the land to the east and into the Arabah. When it arrives at the Dead Sea, it turns the saltwater fresh.

9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, wherever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live where the river cometh.

There will be many animals and fish wherever the river flows. Because the river turns the saltwater fresh wherever it flows, everything will be able to live there.

10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishermen shall stand upon it from Engedi even to Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, very many.

Fishermen will stand on the shore of the Dead Sea. They will be able to spread their nets from En-gedi to En-eglaim and catch many kinds of fish. There will be plenty of fish just like the Mediterranean Sea.

11 But its miry places and its marshes shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

However, the marshes and swampy areas won't become fresh; they will remain salty.

12 And by the river upon its bank, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for food, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall its fruit be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for medicine.

All types of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves won't wither, and they won't fail to produce fruit. They will produce fruit every month, because the river flowing from the sanctuary comes to water them. Their fruit will be eaten as food and their leaves will be used for healing.”

13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, by which ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

This is what the Lord God says: “These are the boundaries you are to use when allocating ownership of the land to the twelve tribes of Israel (Joseph is to receive two allocations.)

14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers: and this land shall fall to you for inheritance.

You are to allocate the land to them equally. I held up my hand and made a solemn promise to give it to your forefathers, so this land will come to you to own and to pass on as an inheritance.

15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;

These shall be the country's boundaries: On the northern side it runs from the Mediterranean Sea along the Hethlon road and through Lebo-hamath to Zedad;

16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.

then on to Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus and Hamath, and all the way to Hazer-hatticon, on the border of Hauran.

17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

So the border is from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border with Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This is the northern boundary.

18 And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border to the east sea. And this is the east side.

The eastern boundary runs from Hauran and Damascus, down along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and on to Tamar. This is the eastern boundary.

19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.

The southern boundary runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern boundary.

20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man cometh opposite Hamath. This is the west side.

The Mediterranean Sea is the western boundary all the way up to a location opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the western boundary.

21 So shall ye divide this land to you according to the tribes of Israel.

You are to allocate this land for you to own according to the tribes of Israel.

22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you: and they shall be to you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

You are to allocate land to own and to pass on as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the foreigners who live among you who have children. You shall treat them in the same way as Israelites born in the country. They are to be given a land allocation to own among the Israelite tribes in the same way as you.

23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

Foreigners are to be allocated land to own among the tribe where they live, declares the Lord God.”