Ezekiel 47:8

New Living Translation

Then he said to me, "This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He 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, the water of the sea becomes fresh.

Hebrew Names Version
Then said he to me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the `Aravah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea [shall the waters go] which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.

King James Version
Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

English Standard Version
And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.

New American Standard Bible
Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh.

New Century Version
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.

Amplified Bible
Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley); then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the Dead Sea shall be healed and become fresh.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide he vnto me, These waters issue out towarde the East countrey, and runne downe into the plaine, and shall goe into one sea: they shall runne into another sea, and the waters shalbe wholesome.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow out to the sea, and the waters of the sea will be healed.

Berean Standard Bible
And he said to me, "This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the sea, the water there becomes fresh.

Contemporary English Version
The man said: This water flows eastward to the Jordan River valley and empties into the Dead Sea, where it turns the salt water into fresh water.

Complete Jewish Bible
He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and continues down to the ‘Aravah. When it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant water, [the Dead Sea,] its water will become fresh.

Darby Translation
And he said unto me, These waters issue out toward the east district, and go down into the plain, and go into the sea; when they are brought forth into the sea, the waters [thereof] shall be healed.

Easy-to-Read Version
He said to me, "This water flows east, down to the Arabah Valley.

George Lamsa Translation
Then he said to me, These waters that are issuing out toward the east region and flowing down toward the north, shall go into the sea and mingle with the stagnant water, and make it fresh.

Good News Translation
He said to me, "This water flows through the land to the east and down into the Jordan Valley and to the Dead Sea. When it flows into the Dead Sea, it replaces the salt water of that sea with fresh water.

Lexham English Bible
And he said to me, "These waters are going out to the eastern region, and they go down to the Jordan Valley, and they come to the sea and flow into the sea where they issue out, and the waters in the sea will be healed.

Literal Translation
And he said to me, These waters go out toward the eastern circuit, and go down into the Arabah, and enter the sea. They are brought out into the sea, and the waters shall be healed.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde he vnto me: This water that floweth out towarde the east, and runneth downe in to the playne felde, commeth in to the see: and from the see it runneth out, & maketh the waters whole.

American Standard Version
Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.

Bible in Basic English
And he said to me, These waters are flowing out to the east part of the land and down into the Arabah; and they will go to the sea, and the waters will be made sweet.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said he unto me: 'These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and when they shall enter into the sea, into the sea of the putrid waters, the waters shall be healed.

King James Version (1611)
Then said he vnto me, These waters issue out toward the East country, and go downe into the desert, and goe into the sea: which being brought foorth into the sea, the waters shalbe healed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then saide he vnto me: These waters flowe out toward the east countrey, and runne downe into the plaine, & come into the sea: which when it commeth into the sea, the waters shalbe holsome.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to me, This is the water that goes forth to Galilee that lies eastward, and it is gone down to Arabia, and has reached as far as to the sea to the outlet of the water: and it shall heal the waters.

English Revised Version
Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah: and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.

World English Bible
Then said he to me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea [shall the waters go] which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to me, These watris that goon out to the heepis of soond of the eest, and goen doun to pleyn places of desert, schulen entre in to the see, and schulen go out; and the watris schulen be heelid.

Update Bible Version
Then he said to me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea [shall the waters go] which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said he to me, These waters issue out towards the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: [which being] brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

New English Translation
He said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and flow down into the Arabah; when they enter the Dead Sea, where the sea is stagnant, the waters become fresh.

New King James Version
Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.

New Life Bible
He said to me, "These waters go out toward the east country and down into the Arabah, then flow into the Dead sea. When they flow into the sea, the waters there become clean again.

New Revised Standard
He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said unto me these waters are going forth unto the region toward the east and shall go down unto the waste plain, a and shall eater the sea, unto the sea being led forth, then shall the waters be healed;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to me: These waters that issue forth toward the hillocks of sand to the east, and go down to the plains of the desert, shall go into the sea, and shall go out, and the waters shall be healed.

Revised Standard Version
And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith unto me, `These waters are going forth unto the east circuit, and have gone down unto the desert, and have entered the sea; unto the sea they are brought forth, and the waters have been healed.

THE MESSAGE
He told me, "This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En-gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean.

Contextual Overview

¹ In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. ² The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. ³ Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. ⁴ He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. ⁵ Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through. ⁶ He asked me, "Have you been watching, son of man?" Then he led me back along the riverbank. ⁷ When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. ⁸ Then he said to me, "This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. ⁹ There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. ¹⁰ Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and go down: Isaiah 35:1, Isaiah 35:7, Isaiah 41:17-19, Isaiah 43:20, Isaiah 44:3-5, Isaiah 49:9, Jeremiah 31:9

desert: or, plain, Deuteronomy 3:17, Deuteronomy 4:49, Joshua 3:16

the sea: This was the Dead sea, or sea of Sodom, east of Jerusalem, in which it is said no living creature is found; or, at least, from its extreme saltness, it does not abound with fish like other seas. The healing of these waters denotes the calling of the Gentiles.

the waters: 2 Kings 2:19-22, Isaiah 11:6-9, Malachi 1:11, Matthew 13:15

Reciprocal: Numbers 34:3 - salt sea eastward Joshua 15:2 - the salt sea 2 Kings 2:21 - I have healed Joel 2:20 - the east Matthew 12:43 - dry Luke 11:24 - dry John 5:4 - was made James 3:12 - so Revelation 22:2 - healing

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said he unto me,.... The man that measured the waters spoke to the prophet again, and showed him the course of the waters; the quickening and healing virtue of them, and the multitude of fish in them:

these waters issue out toward the east country; the Gospel was first preached in the eastern parts of the world; :-, or "towards the first, or east Galilee" f; in Galilee Christ began to preach, and wrought his first miracle; here he called his disciples, and chiefly conversed; and here he had the greatest followers, and some of the first Christian churches were formed here after his ascension, Matthew 4:12:

and go down into the desert; or wilderness, the wilderness of the people, the Gentiles; to whom the Gospel was carried when rejected by the Jews, and who before were like a desert, but now became as a fruitful field, Isaiah 35:1. The Jews g interpret this of the plain, or the sea of Galilee or Tiberius, at which Christ called his disciples; near to this he delivered his discourses concerning himself, the bread of life, and eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; here he met with his disciples after his resurrection, and enjoined Peter to feed his sheep and lambs; see Matthew 4:18:

and go into the sea; the Dead sea, or sea of Sodom, the lake Asphaltites, where nothing is said to live; an emblem of dead sinners; and may represent the worst of sinners, as the Sodomites were; and to such the Gospel was sent, and became effectual to salvation: or it may rather design the great ocean, and may signify the whole world, and all the nations of it, to which the Gospel, by the commission of Christ, was to be preached; see Daniel 7:2. The Targum is,

"and go through the sea into the great sea;''

it may be rendered, "and go toward the west" h; the Mediterranean sea being to the west of Judea, it is often put for the west; and so the sense may be, that these waters should flow east and west, as the living waters in Zechariah 14:8, the same with those, are said to do; and all the Jewish writers think there is such a division of the waters intended, and that they had two streams or rivers; which may receive some confirmation from the next verse, where the word for rivers is of the dual number, and signifies two rivers. The sense of the whole is, that the Gospel should be first preached in Judea and Galilee; then among the Gentiles throughout the Roman empire; and in the latter day especially throughout the world, when it shall be covered with it as the waters cover the sea, Isaiah 11:9:

which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed; that is, which waters of the river being directed and brought into, either the Dead sea, or the great ocean, the waters of the one, or of the other, were healed; and of bituminous and bitter waters were made clear, sweet, and wholesome; and signify the change made in sinful men by means of the Gospel, who are thereby quickened, made partakers of the grace of God, and have their sins pardoned, which is often meant by healing in Scripture, Psalms 103:2, pardon of sin flows from the love and grace of God; is the great doctrine of the Gospel, and by which the Lord speaks peace and pardon, and communicates healing of all spiritual diseases to sinners sensible of them; see Psalms 107:20.

f אל הגלילה הקדמונה "in Galileam prinam", Junius Tremellius "ad Galileam anteriorem", Cocceius, Piscator, Starckius; "Galileam orientalem", Munster; so some in Vatablus, Tigurine version; so the Targum. g Tosaphta Succa in Jarchi Kimchi in loc. so in Ben Melec. h ובאו חימה.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“The sea” is a term commonly applied to the Dead Sea. Compare Deuteronomy 3:17, “the sea of the plain (Arabah), even the salt sea.” The more literal rendering of the verse in this sense would be, “and go into the sea; into the sea go the waters that issue forth, and the waters shall be healed.”

Healed - Every living thing (of which there were none before) shall abound in the “healed” waters. The absence of living creatures in the Dead Sea has been remarked by ancient and modern writers. So the water which Jesus should give should bring life to the dead in trespasses and sins. Compare John 4:14; Revelation 22:2-3.