Passage: Ezekiel 47, 48 (RSV)


Ezekiel 47


1Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.
2Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate, that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side.
3Going on eastward with a line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep.
4Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the loins.
5Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
6And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back along the bank of the river.
7As I went back, I saw upon the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8And 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.
9And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.
10Fishermen will stand beside the sea; from En-ge'di to En-eg'laim it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.
11But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt.
12And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."
13Thus says the Lord GOD: "These are the boundaries by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.
14And you shall divide it equally; I swore to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance.
15"This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, and on to Zedad,
16Bero'thah, Sib'raim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
17So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-e'non, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side.
18"On the east side, the boundary shall run from Hazar-e'non between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side.
19"On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-ka'desh, thence along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side.
20"On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite the entrance of Hamath. This shall be the west side.
21"So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel.
22You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who reside among you and have begotten children among you. They shall be to you as native-born sons of Israel; with you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
23In whatever tribe the alien resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 48


1"These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern border, from the sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, as far as Hazar-e'non (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion.
2Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion.
3Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naph'tali, one portion.
4Adjoining the territory of Naph'tali, from the east side to the west, Manas'seh, one portion.
5Adjoining the territory of Manas'seh, from the east side to the west, E'phraim, one portion.
6Adjoining the territory of E'phraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion.
7Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion.
8"Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it.
9The portion which you shall set apart for the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length, and twenty thousand in breadth.
10These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring twenty-five thousand cubits on the northern side, ten thousand cubits in breadth on the western side, ten thousand in breadth on the eastern side, and twenty-five thousand in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the LORD in the midst of it.
11This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did.
12And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites.
13And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in breadth. The whole length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and the breadth twenty thousand.
14They shall not sell or exchange any of it; they shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the LORD.
15"The remainder, five thousand cubits in breadth and twenty-five thousand in length, shall be for ordinary use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city;
16and these shall be its dimensions: the north side four thousand five hundred cubits, the south side four thousand five hundred, the east side four thousand five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.
17And the city shall have open land: on the north two hundred and fifty cubits, on the south two hundred and fifty, on the east two hundred and fifty, and on the west two hundred and fifty.
18The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be ten thousand cubits to the east, and ten thousand to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city.
19And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it.
20The whole portion which you shall set apart shall be twenty-five thousand cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.
21"What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the twenty-five thousand cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the twenty-five thousand cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple in its midst,
22and the property of the Levites and the property of the city, shall be in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.
23"As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion.
24Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion.
25Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Is'sachar, one portion.
26Adjoining the territory of Is'sachar, from the east side to the west, Zeb'ulun, one portion.
27Adjoining the territory of Zeb'ulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion.
28And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-ka'desh, thence along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea.
29This is the land which you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their several portions, says the Lord GOD.
30"These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be four thousand five hundred cubits by measure,
31three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel.
32On the east side, which is to be four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan.
33On the south side, which is to be four thousand five hundred cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Is'sachar, and the gate of Zeb'ulun.
34On the west side, which is to be four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naph'tali.
35The circumference of the city shall be eighteen thousand cubits. And the name of the city henceforth shall be, The LORD is there."



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