September 23
Ezekiel 47:1 — 48:35
47
And gradually he brought me back to the entrance of the House, and, look! there
was water going forth from under the threshold of the House eastward, for the
front of the House was east. And the water was going down from under, from the
right-hand side of the House, south of the altar.
2 And
he gradually brought me forth by the way of the north gate and took me around by
the way outside to the outer gate that is facing toward the east, and, look!
water was trickling from the right-hand side.
3 When
the man went forth eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he also proceeded
to measure a thousand in cubits and to make me pass through the water, water
[up] to the ankles.
4 And
he continued measuring a thousand and then made me pass through the water, water
[up] to the knees.
And he continued measuring a thousand and now
made me pass through—water [up] to the hips.
5 And
he continued measuring a thousand. It was a torrent that I was not able to pass
through, for the water had got high, water [permitting] swimming, a torrent that
could not be passed through.
6 At
that he said to me: “Have you seen [this], O son of man?”
Then he had me walk and had me return [to] the bank of the torrent. 7 When I returned, why, look! on the bank of the torrent there were very many trees, on this side and on that side. 8 And he went on to say to me: “This water is going forth to the eastern region and must go down through the Arabah. And it must come to the sea. It being brought forth into the sea itself, [its] water is also actually healed. 9 And it must occur that every living soul that swarms, in every place to which the double-size torrent comes, will get life. And it must occur that there will be very many fish, because there is where this water will certainly come, and the [seawater] will be healed, and everything will be alive where the torrent comes.
10 “And it must occur that fishers will actually stand alongside it from En-gedi even up to En-eglaim. There will come to be a drying yard for dragnets. In their kinds their fish will prove to be, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.
11 “There are its swampy places and its marshy places, and they will not be healed. To salt they will certainly be given.
12 “And alongside the torrent there will come up, along its bank on this side and on that side, all sorts of trees for food. Their leafage will not wither, nor will their fruitage be consumed. In their months they will bear new fruit, because the water for them—it is coming forth from the very sanctuary. And their fruitage must prove to be for food and their leafage for healing.”
13 This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “This is the territory that YOU will assign to yourselves for inheritance as the land for the twelve tribes of Israel, with two pieces of field to Joseph. 14 And YOU people must inherit it, each one the same as his brother, which [land] I raised my hand [in an oath] to give to YOUR forefathers; and this land must fall to YOU [by lot] for inheritance.
15 “And this is the boundary of the land to the northern side, from the Great Sea by the way to Hethlon, as one comes to Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is toward the boundary of Hauran. 17 And the boundary from the sea must prove to be Hazar-enon, the boundary of Damascus and north—northward, and the boundary of Hamath. This is the northern side.
18 “And
the eastern side is from between Hauran and Damascus and between Gilead and the
land of Israel; the Jordan, from the boundary to the eastern sea YOU people
should measure. This is the eastern side.
19 “And
the southern side is to the south, from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh,
the torrent valley to the Great Sea. This is the side to the south, toward the
Negeb.
20 “And
the western side is the Great Sea, from the boundary straight ahead to the
entering in to Hamath. This is the western side.”
21 “And
YOU must apportion this land to yourselves, to the twelve tribes of Israel.
22 And
it must occur that YOU should allot it for inheritance to yourselves and to the
alien residents who are residing as aliens in YOUR midst, who have become father
to sons in the midst of YOU. And they must become to YOU like a native among the
sons of Israel. With YOU people they will fall [by lot] into an inheritance in
the midst of the tribes of Israel.
23 And
it must occur that in the tribe with which the alien resident has taken up
residence as an alien, there is where YOU should give his inheritance,” is the
utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.
48
“And these are the names of the tribes. From the northern extremity, on the side
by the way of Hethlon to the entering in to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the boundary of
Damascus northward, on the side of Hamath; and it must prove to have an eastern
border [and] the western, Dan one [portion].
2 And
on the boundary of Dan, from the eastern border to the western border, Asher
one.
3 And
on the boundary of Asher, from the eastern border even to the western border,
Naphtali one.
4 And
on the boundary of Naphtali, from the eastern border to the western border,
Manasseh one.
5 And
on the boundary of Manasseh, from the eastern border to the western border,
Ephraim one.
6 And
on the boundary of Ephraim, from the eastern border even to the western border,
Reuben one.
7 And
on the boundary of Reuben, from the eastern border to the western border, Judah
one.
8 And
on the boundary of Judah, from the eastern border to the western border, the
contribution that YOU people should contribute should prove to be twenty-five
thousand [cubits] in width, and [the] length according to one of the portions
from the eastern border to the western border. And the sanctuary must prove to
be in the midst of it.
9 “As regards the contribution that YOU should contribute to Jehovah, [the] length will be twenty-five thousand [cubits] and [the] width ten thousand. 10 And as to these there should prove to be the holy contribution for the priests, to the north twenty-five thousand [cubits], and to the west a width of ten thousand, and to the east a width of ten thousand, and to the south a length of twenty-five thousand. And the sanctuary of Jehovah must prove to be in the midst of it. 11 It will be for the priests, those who are sanctified from the sons of Zadok, who took care of the obligation toward me, who did not wander away when the sons of Israel wandered away, just as the Levites wandered away. 12 And they must come to have a contribution from the contribution of the land as something most holy, on the boundary of the Levites.
13 “And the Levites should have, right next to the territory of the priests, twenty-five thousand [cubits] in length, and in width ten thousand; the whole length being twenty-five thousand and width being ten thousand. 14 And they should not sell any of it, nor should one make an exchange, nor should one cause the choicest of the land to pass away [from them]; for it is something holy to Jehovah.
15 “As regards the five thousand [cubits] that is left remaining in width alongside the twenty-five thousand, it is something profane for the city, for a dwelling place and for pasture ground. And the city must come to be in the midst of it. 16 And these are the [city’s] measurements: the northern border four thousand five hundred [cubits], and the southern border four thousand five hundred, and the eastern border four thousand five hundred, and the western border four thousand five hundred. 17 And the city must come to have a pasture ground, to the north two hundred and fifty [cubits], and to the south two hundred and fifty, and to the east two hundred and fifty, and to the west two hundred and fifty.
18 “And what is left remaining over in length will be exactly as the holy contribution, ten thousand [cubits] to the east, and ten thousand to the west; and it must prove to be exactly as the holy contribution, and its produce must come to be for bread for the ones serving the city. 19 And those who are serving the city out of all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it.
20 “The whole contribution is twenty-five thousand [cubits] by twenty-five thousand. A foursquare part YOU people should contribute as the holy contribution with the possession of the city.
21 “And what is left over will belong to the chieftain, on this side and on that side of the holy contribution and of the possession of the city, alongside the twenty-five thousand [cubits] [of] the contribution to the eastern boundary; and on the west alongside the twenty-five thousand [cubits] to the western boundary. Exactly like the portions, [it will be] for the chieftain. And the holy contribution and the sanctuary of the House must prove to be in the midst of it.
22 “And as regards the possession of the Levites and the possession of the city, in between what belongs to the chieftain it should prove to be. Between the boundary of Judah and the boundary of Benjamin it should come to belong to the chieftain.
23 “And as regards the rest of the tribes, from the eastern border to the western border, Benjamin one [portion]. 24 And by the boundary of Benjamin, from the eastern border to the western border, Simeon one. 25 And by the boundary of Simeon, from the eastern border to the western border, Issachar one. 26 And by the boundary of Issachar, from the eastern border to the western border, Zebulun one. 27 And by the boundary of Zebulun, from the eastern border to the western border, Gad one. 28 And by the boundary of Gad, to the southern border, it will be southward; and the boundary must prove to be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the torrent valley, as far as the Great Sea.
29 “This
will be the land that YOU people should cause to fall [by lot] for inheritance
to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their shares,” is the utterance of
the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.
30 “And
these will be the outlets of the city: On the northern border, four thousand
five hundred [cubits] will be [the] measurement.
31 “And
the gates of the city will be according to the names of the tribes of Israel,
three gates being on the north, the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one;
the gate of Levi, one.
32 “And
on the eastern border there will be four thousand five hundred [cubits], and
three gates, even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate
of Dan, one.
33 “And
the southern border will be four thousand five hundred [cubits] as to
measurement, with three gates, the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar,
one; the gate of Zebulun, one.
34 “The
western border will be four thousand five hundred [cubits], there being three
gates, the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.
35 “Round
about [there will be] eighteen thousand [cubits]; and the name of the city from
[that] day on will be Jehovah Himself Is There.”