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EZEKIEL 47
page 769
own land, for I do not want any of my people
unjustly evicted from their property.”
The Temple Kitchens
19 In my vision, the man brought me through
the entrance beside the gateway and led me to
the sacred rooms assigned to the priests, which
faced toward the north. He showed me a place
at the extreme west end of these rooms. 20 He explained, “This is where the priests will cook the
meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings
and bake the flour from the grain offerings into
bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the
sacrifices through the outer courtyard and endangering the people by transmitting holiness
to them.”
21 Then he brought me back to the outer courtyard and led me to each of its four corners. In
each corner I saw an enclosure. 22 Each of these
enclosures was 70 feet long and 521⁄2 feet wide,*
surrounded by walls. 23 Along the inside of these
walls was a ledge of stone with fireplaces under
the ledge all the way around. 24 The man said to
me, “These are the kitchens to be used by the
Temple assistants to boil the sacrifices offered
by the people.”
The River of Healing
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
47
46:22 Hebrew 40 [cubits] [21.2 meters] long and 30 [cubits]
[15.9 meters] wide. 47:3 Hebrew 1,000 cubits [530 meters];
also in 47:4, 5. 47:8 Hebrew the sea. 47:9 As in Greek
and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads of these two rivers flow.
47:10 Hebrew the Great Sea; also in 47:15, 17, 19, 20. 47:13 It
was important to retain twelve portions of land. Since Levi
had no portion, the descendants of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim
and Manasseh, received land as two tribes. 47:15-16 As in
Greek version; Masoretic Text reads then on through Lebo to
Zedad; 16then it will run to Hamath, Berothah, and Sibraim.
47:18a Hebrew the eastern sea. 47:18b As in Greek version;
Hebrew reads you will measure. 47:19 Hebrew waters of
Meribath-kadesh.
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.* 11 But the marshes
and swamps will not be purified; they will still
be salty. 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along
both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees
will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a
new crop every month, for they are watered by
the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will
be for food and the leaves for healing.”
Boundaries for the Land
13 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Divide
the land in this way for the twelve tribes of Israel: The descendants of Joseph will be given
two shares of land.* 14 Otherwise each tribe will
receive an equal share. I took a solemn oath
and swore that I would give this land to your
ancestors, and it will now come to you as your
possession.
15 “These
are the boundaries of the land:
The northern border will run from the
Mediterranean toward Hethlon, then on
through Lebo-hamath to Zedad; 16 then it
will run to Berothah and Sibraim,* which
are on the border between Damascus and
Hamath, and finally to Hazer-hatticon, on
the border of Hauran. 17 So the northern
border will run from the Mediterranean to
Hazar-enan, on the border between Hamath
to the north and Damascus to the south.
18 “The eastern border starts at a point
between Hauran and Damascus and runs
south along the Jordan River between Israel
and Gilead, past the Dead Sea* and as far
south as Tamar.* This will be the eastern
border.
19 “The southern border will go west from
Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh*
and then follow the course of the Brook of
Egypt to the Mediterranean. This will be the
southern border.
20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean
itself will be your border from the southern
border to the point where the northern
border begins, opposite Lebo-hamath.
21 “Divide
the land within these boundaries
among the tribes of Israel. 22 Distribute the land
as an allotment for yourselves and for the foreigners who have joined you and are raising
their families among you. They will be like