1 The man led me back to the entrance of the Temple. I saw water coming out from under the east gate of the Temple. (The front of the Temple is on the east side.) The water flowed down from under the south end of the Temple and ran south of the altar.
2 The man led me out through the north gate and then around the outside to the outer gate on the east side. The water was flowing out on the south side of the gate.
3 The man walked east with a tape measure in his hand. He measured 1000 cubits. Then he told me to walk through the water at that place. The water was only ankle deep.
4 He measured another 1000 cubits. Then he told me to walk through the water at that place. There the water came up to my knees. Then he measured another 1000 cubits and told me to walk through the water at that place. There the water was waist deep.
5 He measured another 1000 cubits, but there the water was too deep to cross. It had become a river. The water was deep enough to swim in. It was a river that was too deep to cross.
6 Then the man said to me, “Son of man, did you pay close attention to the things you saw?” Then the man led me back along the side of the river.
7 As I walked back along the side of the river, I saw many trees on both sides of the water.
8 He said to me, “This water flows east, down to the Arabah Valley.
9 This water flows into the Dead Sea so that the water in that sea becomes fresh and clean. There are many fish in this water, and all kinds of animals live where this river goes.
10 You can see fishermen standing by the river all the way from En Gedi to En Eglaim. You can see them throwing their fishing nets and catching many kinds of fish. There are as many kinds of fish in the Dead Sea as there are in the Mediterranean Sea.
11 But the swamps and small marshes will not become fresh. They will be left for salt.
12 All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves never will become dry and fall. The fruit will never stop growing on those trees. The trees will produce fruit every month, because the water for the trees comes from the Temple. The fruit from the trees will be for food, and their leaves will be for healing.”
13 This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the borders for dividing the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will have two parts.
14 You will divide the land equally. I promised to give this land to your ancestors, so I am giving this land to you.
15 “These are the borders of the land: On the north side, it goes from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon where the road turns toward Hamath and on to Zedad,
16 Berothah, Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath) and Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
17 So the border will go from the sea to Hazar Enan on the northern border of Damascus and Hamath. This will be on the north side.
18 “On the east side, the border will go from Hazar Enan between Hauran and Damascus and continue along the Jordan River between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the eastern sea and all the way to Tamar. This will be the eastern border.
19 “On the south side, the border will go from Tamar all the way to the oasis at Meribah-kadesh. Then it will go along the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern border.
20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the border all the way to the area in front of Lebo Hamath. This will be your western border.
21 “So you will divide this land among you for the tribes of Israel.
22 You will divide it as a property for yourselves and for the foreigners who live among you and who have had children among you. These foreigners will be residents—they will be like natural born Israelites. You will divide some land for them among the tribes of Israel.
23 The tribe where that resident lives must give him some land.” This is what the Lord GOD said!