Ezekiel 47

1 And he brought me back unto the door of the house; and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the forefront of the house was toward the east: and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.

The man took me back to the Temple entrance. I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the Temple and flowing east (because the Temple faced east). The water was coming from under the south side of the Temple and ran south of the altar.

2 Then brought he me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of [the gate] that looketh toward the east; and behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

Then he took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east. I saw water was trickling out from the south side of the gate.

3 When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.

The man walked east holding a measuring line He measured a thousand cubits and led me through the water which came up to my ankles.

4 Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through [the waters], waters that were to the loins.

He measured another thousand cubits and led me through water which came up to my knees. He measured another thousand cubits and led me through water that came up to my waist.

5 Afterward he measured a 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.

He measured another thousand cubits, but this was a river I couldn't cross. The water had risen so high you could swim in it. It was a river that couldn't be crossed on foot.

6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen [this]? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.

“Son of man, have you observed all this?” he asked. Then he took me back to the riverbank.

7 Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

When I got there, I saw a large number of trees on both sides of the river.

8 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.

He told me, “This water flows out into the land to the east and into the Arabah. When it arrives at the Dead Sea, it turns the saltwater fresh.

9 And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish: for these waters are come thither, and [the waters of the sea] shall be healed, and every thing shall live whithersoever the river cometh.

There will be many animals and fish wherever the river flows. Because the river turns the saltwater fresh wherever it flows, everything will be able to live there.

10 And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Fishermen will stand on the shore of the Dead Sea. They will be able to spread their nets from En-gedi to En-eglaim and catch many kinds of fish. There will be plenty of fish just like the Mediterranean Sea.

11 But the miry places thereof, and the marishes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.

However, the marshes and swampy areas won't become fresh; they will remain salty.

12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for meat, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for healing.

All types of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves won't wither, and they won't fail to produce fruit. They will produce fruit every month, because the river flowing from the sanctuary comes to water them. Their fruit will be eaten as food and their leaves will be used for healing.”

13 Thus saith the Lord GOD: This shall be the border, whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph [shall have] portions.

This is what the Lord God says: “These are the boundaries you are to use when allocating ownership of the land to the twelve tribes of Israel (Joseph is to receive two allocations.)

14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

You are to allocate the land to them equally. I held up my hand and made a solemn promise to give it to your forefathers, so this land will come to you to own and to pass on as an inheritance.

15 And this shall be the border of the land: on the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, unto the entering in of Zedad;

These shall be the country's boundaries: On the northern side it runs from the Mediterranean Sea along the Hethlon road and through Lebo-hamath to 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.

then on to Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus and Hamath, and all the way to Hazer-hatticon, on the border of Hauran.

17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enon at the border of Damascus, and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

So the border is from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border with Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This is the northern boundary.

18 And the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be Jordan; from the [north] border unto the east sea shall ye measure. This is the east side.

The eastern boundary runs from Hauran and Damascus, down along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and on to Tamar. This is the eastern boundary.

19 And the south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the brook [of Egypt], unto the great sea. This is the south side southward.

The southern boundary runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern boundary.

20 And the west side shall be the great sea, from the [south] border as far as over against the entering in of Hamath. This is the west side.

The Mediterranean Sea is the western boundary all the way up to a location opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the western boundary.

21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

You are to allocate this land for you to own according to the tribes of Israel.

22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the homeborn among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

You are to allocate land to own and to pass on as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the foreigners who live among you who have children. You shall treat them in the same way as Israelites born in the country. They are to be given a land allocation to own among the Israelite tribes in the same way as you.

23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth; there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

Foreigners are to be allocated land to own among the tribe where they live, declares the Lord God.”