Ezekiel 47–48

River of the Temple, Division of the Land and Its Boundaries

47And he brought me back to the doorway of the temple and, look! There was water coming out from under the threshold of the temple eastward, because the face of the temple was eastwards; and the water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, from south of the altar. ²And he brought me out by the way of the north gate and he led me around by the way leading to the outside of the outer gate^a by way of the gate facing east, and look, there was water trickling from the south side. ³As the man went eastward a measuring line was in his hand, and he measured a thousand cubits.^b And he led me through on into the water; it was ankle deep.^{c 4}And he measured a thousand cubits,^d and he brought me over into the waters and it was knee deep.^e And he measured a thousand cubits,^f and he brought me over into the waters and it was waist deep.^{g 5}And he measured a thousand cubits,^h and it became a stream that I was not able to cross, because the water rose, waters a person could swim in,ⁱ and became a stream that could not be crossed. ⁶And he asked me, “Son of man,^j did you see this?” And he made me go, and he brought me back along the bank of the stream.

⁷When I returned,^k then look! On the bank of the river were many trees on both sides.^{l 8}And he said to me, “These waters are going out to the eastern region, and they go down to the Jordan Valley,^m and they come to the seaⁿ and flow into the sea where they issue out,^o and the waters in the sea will be healed.^{p 9}And then every living creature with which it teems,^q to every place the waters come^r it will live; and very many fish will live because these waters came there, and so the water will be healed^s and everything will be alive everywhere that^t the stream will come.^{u 10}And then fishers^v from En Gedi and on up to En Eglaim will stand beside it, a sea-girt drying yard for nets; their fish for the dragnets will be of every kind,^w like the fish of the great sea,^x and very many. ¹¹But its marshes and its swamps will not be cured, for they were given for salt. ¹²And along the stream will go up on its banks from both sides^y every tree producing food;^z its leaf will not wither and it will not cease producing its fruit. Every month^a it will bear early fruit, for its waters are going out from the sanctuary, and its fruit will be as food, and its leaf for healing.”

¹³Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “This is the boundary by which you shall distribute the land for the twelve^b tribes of Israel: Two shares shall be for Joseph. ¹⁴And you must take possession of it, each one a share like his brother, of this land which I swore^c to give it to your fathers, and so this land shall fall to you as an inheritance. ¹⁵And^d this is the boundary of the land: On the north side,^e from the great sea by the way of Hethlon until you come to Zedad,^{f 16}Hamath^g to Berothath to Sibraim, which is^h between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Hamath, on to Hazer Hatticon, which is on the boundary of Hauran. ¹⁷And so the boundary will be from the seaⁱ to Hazar Enan at the boundary of Damascus northwards and the boundary of Hamath to the north, and this is the boundary on the side of the north. ¹⁸And the eastern boundary^j will be between Hauran and Damascus, and from between Gilead and the land of Israel along the Jordan River from^k the boundary on the eastern sea to Tamar. And^l this is the border on the east.^{m 19}And on the south side the borderⁿ will run from Tamar up to the waters of Meribot Kadesh and along the wadi^o to the Great Sea.^p And this is the boundary to the south.^{q 20}And on the west side^r the Great Sea^s shall be the boundary up to opposite Lebo-Hamath. This is the western boundary.^t

²¹You shall divide this land for yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. ²²And then you shall allocate it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens dwelling as aliens in the midst of you who have children in the midst of you, and so they shall be to you just like full citizens among the Israelites.^u With you they shall be allotted with an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. ²³And then in the tribe in which an alien who is with you dwells, there you shall give his inheritance,” declares^v the Lord Yahweh.

The Allotment of the Land and the Gates of the City

48And^a these are the names of the tribes: At the end of the north, along the way to Hethlon^b from Lebo-hamath to Hazar Enan on the boundary of Damascus beside Hamath northward,^c there will be one portion for Dan from the eastern border to the west.^{d 2}And next to the territory of Dan, from the eastern border^e up to the western border,^f one portion for Asher. ³And next to the territory of Asher, from the eastern border^g and up to the western border,^h one portion for Naphtali. ⁴And next to the territory of Naphtali, from the eastern borderⁱ up to the western border,^j one portion for Manasseh. ⁵And next to the territory of Manasseh, from the eastern border^k up to the western border,^l one portion for Ephraim. ⁶And next to the territory of Ephraim, from the eastern border^m and up to the western border,ⁿ one portion for Reuben. ⁷And next to the territory of Reuben, from the eastern border^o up to the western border,^p one portion for Judah.

⁸And next to the territory of Judah, from the eastern border^q up to the western border,^r shall be located the contribution that you set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits^s in width, and its length just like one of the portions from the eastern border^t up to the western border,^u and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. ⁹The contribution that you shall set apart for Yahweh, its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits,^v and its width ten thousand cubits.^{w 10}And to these shall be the holy district:^x to the priests northwards twenty-five thousand cubits,^y and westwards its width ten thousand cubits,^z and eastwards its width ten thousand cubits,^a and southwards its length twenty-five thousand cubits,^b and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in the midst of it. ¹¹To the priests, the ones being consecrated from the descendants^c of Zadok, who took care of my service and who did not go astray^d when the Israelites went astray,^e just as^f the Levites went astray. ¹²And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land as a most holy object^g next to the territory of the Levites. ¹³And the Levites alongside^h the territory of the priests shall have twenty-five thousand cubitsⁱ in length and in width ten thousand cubits,^j its full length,^k twenty-five thousand cubits^l and its full width, ten thousand cubits.^{m 14}And they shall not sell any part from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for it is holy to Yahweh.

¹⁵And the remaining partⁿ of five thousand cubits^o in the width by^p twenty-five thousand cubits,^q is unholy;^r it is for the city as dwelling and as pastureland; and the city will be located in the middle of it.^{s 16}And these shall be its measurements: on its side to the north, four thousand five hundred cubits;^t and on its side to the south, four thousand five hundred cubits;^u and on the eastern side,^v four thousand five hundred cubits;^w and on the western side,^x four thousand five hundred cubits.^{y 17}And a pastureland shall be for the city northwards, two hundred and fifty cubits,^z southwards two hundred and fifty cubits,^a and eastwards two hundred and fifty cubits,^b and westwards two hundred and fifty cubits.^{c 18}And the rest in its length alongside^d the holy district,^e ten thousand cubits^f eastwards and ten thousand^g westwards; and it shall be alongside^h the holy districtⁱ and its yield^j shall be as food for the workers of the city. ¹⁹And the workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall cultivate it. ²⁰All of the contribution, twenty-five thousand by twenty five thousand cubits^k square, you shall set apart as the holy district^l along with the property of the city. ²¹And the rest shall be to^m the prince, on both sidesⁿ of the holy district^o and of the property of the city extending from^p twenty-five thousand cubits of the contribution up to the boundary of the east, and westwards extending^q twenty-five thousand cubits^r to the boundary of the sea alongside^s the tribal portions. They shall be for the prince, and it shall be the holy district,^t and the sanctuary of the temple^u will be in its middle. ²²And also the property of the Levites and the property of the city will be in the midst of the property which is for the prince; between the territory of Judah and between the territory of Benjamin the land will be for the prince.

²³And for the remainder of the tribes: From the side on the east up to the side on the west, Benjamin one portion; ²⁴and next to the territory of Benjamin, from the side on the east up to the side of the sea, Simeon one portion; ²⁵and next to the territory of Simeon, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Issachar one portion; ²⁶and next to the territory of Issachar, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Zebulun one portion; ²⁷and next to the territory of Zebulun, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Gad one portion; ²⁸and next to the territory of Gad, to the side of the south, southward;^v and the territory will be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, toward the wadi,^w on to the Great Sea.^{x 29}This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions,” declares^y the Lord Yahweh.

³⁰And these shall be the exits of the city: From^z the north side,^a four thousand and five hundred cubits ^b by measurement. ³¹And the gates of the city shall be according to the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates to the north, the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. ³²And on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits,^c and three gates, and so the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of…