1 H e brought me back to 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.

Then he brought me back to the door of the house. And I saw water flowing from under the doorway toward the east, for the house looked toward the east. The water was flowing from under the right side of the house, from south of the altar.

2 T hen he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way outside to the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looks toward the east; and behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

He brought me out through the north gate and led me around on the outside to the east gate. And I saw water coming from the south side.

3 W hen 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 that were to the ankles.

Going toward the east, the man numbered 500 long steps, and he led me through the water, which covered my feet.

4 A gain he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through waters that were to the waist.

He numbered another 500 long steps and led me through the water, which came up to my knees. He numbered another 500 long steps and led me through the water. This time it came above my legs.

5 A fterward 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.

Again he numbered 500 long steps, and it was a river that I could not walk through. The water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, and no one could cross it.

6 H e said to me, Son of man, have you seen? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.

He said to me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he brought me back to the side of the river.

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

As I returned, I saw that there were very many trees on both sides of the river.

8 T hen he said to me, These waters flow out toward the eastern region, and will go down into the Arabah; and they will go toward the sea; and flow into the sea which will be made to flow out; and the waters will be healed.

He said to me, “These waters go out toward the east country and down into the Arabah, then flow into the Dead sea. When they flow into the sea, the waters there become clean again.

9 I t shall happen, that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters have come there, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live wherever the river comes.

Every living thing that gathers where the river goes will live. There will be very many fish, because these waters go there and make the salt water clean. So everything will live where the river goes.

10 I t 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 after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Fishermen will stand beside it. They will have places to spread their nets from Engedi to Eneglaim. The fish will be of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

11 B ut the miry places of it, and its marshes, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.

But its wet places and pools will not be good for animal life. They will be left for salt.

12 B y the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall its fruit fail: it shall produce new fruit every month, because its waters issue out of the sanctuary; and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for healing.

All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves will not dry up, and they will never stop giving fruit. They will give fruit every month because their water flows from the holy place. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

13 T hus 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.

The Lord God says, “This is how you should divide the land among the twelve family groups of Israel. Joseph will have two parts.

14 Y ou shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers: and this land shall fall to you for inheritance.

You must divide the land so each family receives the same amount. For I promised to give this land to your fathers, and it will be your land to own.

15 T his 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;

“This will be the side of the land: The north side will go from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon, and on to Zedad,

16 H amath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer Hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (between the lands of Damascus and Hamath), and to Hazer-hatticon, by the land of Hauran.

17 T he 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 land will spread from the sea to Hazarenan on the north side of Damascus, with the land of Hamath toward the north. This will be the north side.

18 T he east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border to the east sea you shall measure. This is the east side.

The east side of the land will go from between Hauran and Damascus along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the sea in the east. This will be the east side.

19 T he 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.

The south side of the land will go from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then to the River of Egypt and to the Great Sea. This will be the south side.

20 T he west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.

The west side of the land will be the Great Sea, to a place beside Lebo-hamath. This will be the west side.

21 S o you shall divide this land to you according to the tribes of Israel.

“So divide this land among your family groups of Israel.

22 I t shall happen, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the aliens who live among you, who shall father children among you; and 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.

Divide it by drawing names for yourselves and for the people from other lands who live with you and raise their children among you. You are to think of them as if they were born Israelites. They must be given a share of land with you among the families of Israel.

23 I t shall happen, that in what tribe the stranger lives, there you shall give him his inheritance, says the Lord Yahweh.

The man from another country must be given a share of land among the family group he lives with,” says the Lord God.