Then he brought me back to the ^adoor of the house; and behold, ^bwater was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around ¹on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side.

3 When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. 5 Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a ^ariver that could not be forded. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you ^aseen this?” Then he brought me ¹back to the bank of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many ^atrees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the ^aArabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the ^bsea, and the waters of the sea become ¹fresh. 9 It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the ¹river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others ²become fresh; so ^aeverything will live where the river goes. 10 And it will come about that ^afishermen will stand beside it; from ^bEngedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the ^cspreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the ^dGreat Sea, ^every many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become ¹fresh; they will be ²left for ^asalt. 12 ^aBy the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of ^btrees for food. Their ^cleaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their ^dleaves for healing.”

13 Thus says the Lord ¹GOD, “This shall be the ^aboundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two ^bportions. 14 You shall divide it for an inheritance, each one ¹equally with the other; for I ^2aswore to give it to your forefathers, and this land shall fall to you ³as an inheritance.

15 “This shall be the boundary of the land: on the ^anorth side, from the Great Sea by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of ^1bZedad; 16 ^1aHamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of ^bDamascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary shall ¹extend from the sea to ^aHazar-enan at the border of Damascus, and on the north toward the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

18 “The ^aeast side, from between Hauran, Damascus, ^bGilead and the land of Israel, shall be the ^cJordan; from the north border to the eastern sea you shall measure. This is the east side.

19 “The ^asouth side toward the south shall extend from ^bTamar as far as the waters of ^cMeribath-kadesh, to the ^dbrook of Egypt and to the ^eGreat Sea. This is the south side toward the south.

20 “The ^awest side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border to a point opposite ^1bLebo-hamath. This is the west side.

21 “So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall divide it by ^alot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the ^baliens who stay in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an ^cinheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And in the tribe with which the alien stays, there you shall give him his inheritance,” declares the Lord GOD.