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The River from the Temple

¹ The man led me back to the door of the Temple, and I saw water coming out from under the doorway and flowing east. (The Temple faced east.) The water flowed down from the south side wall of the Temple and then south of the altar. ² The man brought me out through the outer north gate and led me around outside to the outer east gate. I found the water coming out on the south side of the gate.

³ The man went toward the east with a line in his hand and measured about one-third of a mile. Then he led me through water that came up to my ankles. ⁴ The man measured about one-third of a mile again and led me through water that came up to my knees. Then he measured about one-third of a mile again and led me through water up to my waist. ⁵ The man measured about one-third of a mile again, but it was now a river that I could not cross. The water had risen too high; it was deep enough for swimming; it was a river that no one could cross. ⁶ The man asked me, "Human, do you see this?"

Then the man led me back to the bank of the river. ⁷ As I went back, I saw many trees on both sides of the river. ⁸ The man said to me, "This water will flow toward the eastern areas and go down into the Jordan Valley. When it enters the Dead Sea, it will become fresh. ⁹ Everywhere the river goes, there will be many fish. Wherever this water goes the Dead Sea will become fresh, and so where the river goes there will be many living things. ¹⁰ Fishermen will stand by the Dead Sea. From En Gedi all the way to En Eglaim there will be places to spread fishing nets. There will be many kinds of fish in the Dead Sea, as many as in the Mediterranean Sea. ¹¹ But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. ¹² All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both banks of the river, and their leaves will not dry and die. The trees will have fruit every month, because the water for them comes from the Temple. The fruit from the trees will be used for food, and their leaves for medicine."

Borders of the Land

¹³ This is what the Lord God says: "These are the borders of the land to be divided among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will have two parts of land. ¹⁴ You will divide the land equally. I promised to give it to your ancestors, so this land will belong to you as family property.

¹⁵ "This will be the border line of the land: "On the north side it will start at the Mediterranean Sea. It will go through Hethlon, toward Lebo Hamath and on to the towns of Zedad, ¹⁶ Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus and Hamath. Then it will go on to the town of Hazer Hatticon on the border of the country of Hauran. ¹⁷ So the border line will go from the Mediterranean Sea east to the town of Hazar Enan, where the land belonging to Damascus and Hamath lies on the north side. This will be the north side of the land.

¹⁸ "On the east side the border runs south from a point between Hauran and Damascus. It will go along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel and will continue to the town of Tamar on the Dead Sea. This will be the east side of the land.

¹⁹ "On the south side the border line will go west from Tamar all the way to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. Then it will run along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the south side of the land.

²⁰ "On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border line up to a place across from Lebo Hamath. This will be the west side of your land.

²¹ "You will divide this land among the tribes of Israel. ²² You will divide it as family property for yourselves and for the foreigners who live and have children among you. You are to treat these foreigners the same as people born in Israel; they are to share the land with the tribes of Israel. ²³ In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will give him some land," says the Lord God.