The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 47 -

Then the man took me back to the entrance to the temple, and there was water flowing out from under the temple threshold of the house toward the east-for the front of the temple faced east-and the water was flowing down the south side of the temple, to the right of the altar.

So he brought me out through the northern gate and led around to the gate facing east, and there the water was flowing from this gate on its south side.

As the man was going toward the east, there was a measuring line in his hand; he measured off one thousand cubits and brought me through the water to ankle-deep water.

Then he measured one thousand cubits again and brought me through the water to knee-deep water; and he measured another thousand cubits and brought me to hip-deep water.

Next he measured off one thousand cubits farther, here it was a river that I was not able to pass, it was so deep. One could only swim it.

The man said to me, “Son of man, do you see this?” and he brought me out and had me walk back along the riverbank.

As I walked back, there the riverbank had many trees on this side and also the other side.

The man said to me, “This water is going out to the eastern territory and down to the Arabah; this water flows into the Salt Sea and will make it fresh.

Every living creature which swarms where the water goes; there will be many fish for these waters flow there. It will make the salt water fresh. Everything will live wherever the river goes.

Then it will happen that fishermen of En Gedi will stand by the water, and there will be a place to dry out the fishing nets by En Eglaim. There will be many kinds of fish in the Salt Sea, like the fish in the Great Sea for their abundance.

But the Salt Sea’s swamps and marshes will not be made fresh; they will be for providing salt.

Beside this river on its banks, on both sides, all kinds of edible trees will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will never stop appearing. The trees will bear fruit for each month, since their water comes from the Sanctuary. Their fruit will be food, and their leaves will be medicine.

The Borders of the Land

Lord Yahweh says this: This will be the way that you divide the land up for the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph will have two portions.

You, each man and brother among you, will inherit it. As I lifted up my hand to swear to give it to your fathers, in the same way this land has become your inheritance.

This will be the boundary of the land on the north side from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon, and then to Zedad Lebo Hamath.

Then the boundary will go to Berothah, to Sibraim, which is between Damascus and Hamath, and then to Hazer Hatticon, which is beside the boundary of Hauran.

So the boundary will go from the sea to Hazar Enon on the border with Damascus and Hamath to the north. This will be the north side.

On the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and between Gilead and the land of Israel will be the Jordan River. You must measure from the border to the eastern sea as far as Tamar.

Then the south side: south of Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, the brook of Egypt to the Great Sea, and the southern side toward the south.

Then the western boundary will be the Great Sea to where it goes opposite Hamath. This will be the western side.

In this way you will divide this land for yourselves, for the tribes of Israel.

So you will distribute the inheritances for yourselves and for the foreigners in your midst, those who have given birth to children in your midst and who are, with you, like the native born people of Israel. You will throw lots for inheritances among the tribes of Israel.

Then it will happen that the foreigner will be with the tribe among whom he is living. You must give him an inheritance-this is Lord Yahweh’s declaration.”

He brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, waters flowed out from under the threshold of the temple eastward, for the front of the temple faced toward the east. The waters came down from underneath, from the right side of the temple, 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 this?” 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.

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.

But its swamps and marshes will not be healed. They will be given up to salt.

By the river banks, on both sides, 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.”

The Borders of the Land

The Lord GOD says: “This shall be the border by which you shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.

You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers. This land will fall to you for inheritance.

“This shall be the border of the land: “On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad;

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazer Hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.

The border from the sea shall be Hazar Enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

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

“The south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth Kadesh, to the brook, to the great sea. This is the south side southward.

“The west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as opposite the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.

“So you shall divide this land to yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.

You shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the aliens who live among you, who will father children among you. Then they shall be to you as the native-born among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

In whatever tribe the stranger lives, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord GOD.

Footnotes

(a)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.