Ezekiel 47–48

The Life-Giving River

47Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. ^c2Next he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east; there the water was trickling from the south side. ³As the man went out east with a measuring line in his hand, ^dhe measured off a third of a mile ^eand led me through the water. It came up to my ankles. ⁴Then he measured off a third of a mile ^fand led me through the water. It came up to my knees. He measured off another third of a mile ^gand led me through the water. It came up to my waist. ⁵Again he measured off a third of a mile ^h, and it was a river that I could not cross on foot. For the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed on foot.

⁶He asked me, “Do you see this, son of man?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. ⁷When I had returned, I saw a very large number of trees along both sides of the riverbank. ⁱ⁸He said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah. When it enters the sea, the sea of foul water, ^jkthe water of the sea becomes fresh. ^l9Every kind of living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows, ^mand there will be a huge number of fish because this water goes there. Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes. ¹⁰Fishermen will stand beside it from En-gedi to En-eglaim. ⁿThese will become places where nets are spread out to dry. Their fish will consist of many different kinds, like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. ^o11Yet its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be left for salt. ¹²All kinds of trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. ^pEach month they will bear fresh fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for medicine.” ^q

The Borders of the Land

¹³This is what the Lord God says: “This is ^rthe border you will use to divide the land ^sas an inheritance for the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two shares. ^t14You will inherit it in equal portions, since I swore ^uto give it to your ancestors. ^vSo this land will fall to you as an inheritance.

¹⁵“This is to be the border of the land:

On the north side ^wit will extend from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad, ^x16Berothah, and Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. ¹⁷So the border will run from the sea to Hazar-enon at the border ^yof Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.

¹⁸On the east side it will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; you will measure from the northern border to the eastern sea. ^zThis will be the eastern side.

¹⁹On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, ^aand on to the Brook of Egypt ^bas far as the Mediterranean Sea. ^cThis will be the southern side.

²⁰On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border, from the southern border up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.

²¹“You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. ^d22You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners living among you, ^ewho have fathered children among you. You will treat them ^flike native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. ²³In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will assign his inheritance there.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

The Tribal Allotments

48“Now these are the names of the tribes:

From the northern end, along the road of Hethlon, to Lebo-hamath as far as Hazar-enon, at the northern border of Damascus, alongside Hamath and extending from the eastern side to the sea, will be Dan—one portion.

²Next to the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, will be Asher—one portion.

³Next to the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, will be Naphtali—one portion.

⁴Next to the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, will be Manasseh—one portion.

⁵Next to the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, will be Ephraim—one portion.

⁶Next to the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, will be Reuben—one portion.

⁷Next to the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, will be Judah—one portion.

⁸“Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate to the Lord, 8⅓ miles ^gwide, and as long as one of the tribal portions from the east side to the west. ^hThe sanctuary will be in the middle of it.

⁹“The special portion you donate to the Lord will be 8⅓ miles ⁱlong and 3⅓ miles ^jwide. ¹⁰This holy donation will be set apart for the priests alone. It will be 8⅓ miles ^klong on the northern side, 3⅓ miles ^lwide on the western side, 3⅓ miles ^mwide on the eastern side, and 8⅓ miles ⁿlong on the southern side. The Lord’s sanctuary will be in the middle of it. ¹¹It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept My charge ^oand did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. ¹²It will be a special donation for them out of the holy donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites.

¹³“Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an area 8⅓ miles ^plong and 3⅓ miles ^qwide. The total length will be 8⅓ miles ^rand the width 3⅓ miles. ^st14They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice part of the land, for it is holy to the Lord. ^u

¹⁵“The remaining area, 1⅔ of a mile ^vwide and 8⅓ miles ^wlong, will be for common use by the city, ^xfor both residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it. ¹⁶These are the city’s measurements:

1½ miles ^yon the north side;

1½ miles ^zon the south side;

1½ miles ^aon the east side;

and 1½ miles ^bon the west side.

¹⁷The city’s open space will extend:

425 feet ^cto the north,

425 feet ^dto the south,

425 feet ^eto the east,

and 425 feet ^fto the west.

¹⁸“The remainder of the length alongside the holy donation will be 3⅓ miles ^gto the east and 3⅓ miles ^hto the west. It will run alongside the holy donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city. ¹⁹The city’s workers from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it. ⁱ²⁰The entire donation will be 8⅓ miles ^jby 8⅓ miles; ^kyou are to set apart the holy donation along with the city property as a square area.

²¹“The remaining area on both sides of the holy donation and the city property will belong to the prince. ^lHe will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, next to the 8⅓ miles ^mof the donation as far as the eastern border and ⁿnext to the 8⅓ miles ^oof the donation as far as the western border. The holy donation and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it. ²²Except for the Levitical property and the city property in the middle of the area belonging to the prince, the area between the territory of Judah and that of Benjamin will belong to the prince. ^p

²³“As for the rest of the tribes:

From the east side to the west, will be Benjamin—one portion.

²⁴Next to the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, will be Simeon—one portion.

²⁵Next to the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, will be Issachar—one portion.

²⁶Next to the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, will be Zebulun—one portion.

²⁷Next to the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, will be Gad—one portion.

²⁸Next to the territory of Gad toward the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters ^qof Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook of Egypt, and out to the Mediterranean Sea. ²⁹This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to Israel’s tribes, ^rand these will be their portions.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

The New City

³⁰“These are the exits of the city:

On the north side, which measures 1½ miles, ^s31there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi.

³²On the east side, which is 1½ miles, ^tthere will be three gates: one, the gate of Joseph; one, the gate of Benjamin; and one, the gate of Dan.

³³On the south side, which measures 1½ miles, ^uthere will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun.

³⁴On the west side, which is 1½ miles, ^vthere will be three gates: one, the gate of Gad; one, the gate of Asher; and one, the gate of Naphtali.

³⁵The perimeter of the city will be six miles, ^wand the name of the city from that day on will be: Yahweh Is There.” ^x