1 He brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house was toward the east. The waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.
2 Then he brought me out by the way of the north gate, and led me around by the way outside to the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looks eastward. Behold, waters ran out on the right side.
3 When the man went out eastward with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters to the ankles.
4 Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters to the knees. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters to the waist.
5 Afterward he measured one thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then he said to me, “These waters issue out 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 out, and the waters shall be healed.
9 It shall happen that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, shall live. There shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters have come there; for the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live where the river comes.
10 It shall happen that fishermen shall stand by it. From En Gedi even to En Eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
11 But its swamps and marshes shall not be healed. They shall be given up to salt.
12 By the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall its fruit fail. It shall produce new fruit every month, because their waters issue out of the sanctuary. Its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for healing.”
13 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “This shall be the border, by which you shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.
14 You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers. This land shall fall to you for inheritance.
15 This shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea, by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad;
16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer Hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.
17 The border from the sea shall be Hazar Enan, at the border of Damascus, and on the north northward the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
18 The east side, between Hauran and Damascus, and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the border to the eastern sea you shall measure. This is the east side.
19 The south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth Kadesh, to the brook, to the Great Sea. This is the south side southward.
20 The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border as far as opposite the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.
21 “So you shall divide this land to yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.
22 It shall happen that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the foreigners who live among you, who shall father children among you. They shall be to you as the native-born among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
23 It shall happen that in whatever tribe the foreigner lives, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord Yahweh.
Commentary
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