1   He brought me back to the gate of the temple, and I saw a spring of water issuing from under the terrace of the temple towards the east; for the temple faced east. The water was running down along the right side, ^note to the south of the altar. 2   He took me out through the northern gate and brought me round by an outside path to the eastern gate of the court, ^note and water was trickling from the right side. 3   When the man went out eastwards he had a line in his hand. He measured a thousand cubits and made me walk through the water; it came up to my ankles. 4   He measured another thousand and make me walk through the water; it came up to my knees. He measured another thousand and made me walk through the water; it was up to my waist. 5   Another thousand, and it was a torrent I could not cross, for the water had risen and was now deep enough to swim in; it had become a torrent that could not be crossed. 6   ‘Mark this, man’, he said, and led me back to the bank of the torrent. 7   When we came back to the bank I saw a great number of trees on each side. 8   He said to me, ‘This water flows out to the region lying east, and down to the Arabah; at last it will reach that sea whose waters ^note are foul, and they will be sweetened. 9   When any one of the living creatures that swarm upon the earth comes where the torrent ^note flows, it shall draw life from it. The fish shall be innumerable; for these waters

The restored theocracy come here so that the others may be sweetened, and where the torrent flows everything shall live. 10   From En-gedi as far as En-eglaim fishermen shall stand on its shores, for nets shall be spread there. Every kind of fish shall be there in shoals, like the fish of the Great Sea; 11   but its swamps and pools shall not have their waters sweetened but shall be left as salt-pans. 12   Beside the torrent on either bank all trees good for food shall spring up. Their leaves shall not wither, their fruit shall not cease; they shall bear early every month. For their water comes from the sanctuary; their fruit is for food and their foliage for enjoyment.’ ^note

13   These are the words of the Lord God: These ^note are the boundary lines within which the twelve tribes of Israel shall enter into possession of the land, Joseph receiving two portions. 14   The land which I swore with hand uplifted to give to your fathers you shall divide with each other; it shall be assigned to you by lot as your patrimony. 15   This is the frontier: on its northern side, from the Great Sea through Hethlon, Lebo-hamath, Zedad, ^note 16   Berutha, and Sibraim, which are between the frontiers of Damascus and Hamath, to Hazar-enan, ^note near the frontier of Hauran. 17   So the frontier shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan ^note on the frontier of Damascus and northwards; ^note this is ^note its northern side. 18   The eastern side runs alongside the territories of Hauran, Damascus, and Gilead, and alongside the territory of Israel; Jordan sets the boundary to the eastern sea, to Tamar. ^note 19   This is ^note the eastern side. The southern side runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-by-Kadesh; the region assigned to you reaches the Great Sea. This is ^note the southern side towards the Negeb. 20   The western side is the Great Sea, which forms a boundary as far as a point opposite Lebo-hamath. 21   This is the western side. You shall distribute 22   this land among the tribes of Israel and assign it by lot as a patrimony for yourselves and for any aliens living in your midst who leave sons among you. They shall be treated as native-born in Israel and with you shall receive a patrimony by lot among the tribes of Israel. 23   You shall give the alien his patrimony with the tribe in which he is living. This is the very word of the Lord God.

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