Top of Page
Page Style
man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was flowing out from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faces east. I looked and saw that water was flowing from the south side.
3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through water; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Then he measured off another thousand and led me through water; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured off another thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water was too deep. The river was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I returned there, I saw a very large number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah, where it enters the sea. When it enters the sea, the sea of foul waters, its waters are healed. 9 Every kind of living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because these waters flow there. The waters will become wholesome, so wherever the river flows, everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand beside it all the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim. These will become places where nets are spread to dry. Their fish will be of many different kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 Yet the swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be left for salt. 12 All kinds of trees for food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail. Each month they will yield their fruit, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
13 This is what the Lord God says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two portions. 14 You are to divide the inheritance into equal portions. As I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your fathers, so this land will fall to you as your inheritance.
15 “These are the boundaries of the land:
“On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad, 16 Berothah, and Sibraim—which lies between the border of Damascus and Hamath—as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar-enan, to the north of the territory of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.
18 “On the east side, the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, and along the eastern side of the sea. This will be the eastern side.
19 “On the south side, it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, then from there along the Wadi of Egypt as far as the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern side.
20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary, up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.
21 “You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the foreigners living among you, who have fathered children among you. You are to treat them as native-born Israelites; they are to be allotted an inheritance along with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe a foreigner lives, there you are to assign his inheritance,” says the Lord God.