Ezekiel 47

The River of Healing
 ¹  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 [3]  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 Sea. [8]  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. [10]   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. [13]   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 [18]  and as far south as Tamar. [18]  This will be the eastern border.
   ¹⁹  "The southern border will go west from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh [19]  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 native-born Israelites to you and will receive an allotment among the tribes.  ²³  These foreigners are to be given land within the territory of the tribe with whom they now live. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!

Ezekiel 48

Division of the Land
 ¹  "Here is the list of the tribes of Israel and the territory each is to receive. The territory of Dan is in the extreme north. Its boundary line follows the Hethlon road to Lebo-hamath and then runs on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus, with Hamath to the north. Dan's territory extends all the way across the land of Israel from east to west.
   ²  "Asher's territory lies south of Dan's and also extends from east to west.  ³  Naphtali's land lies south of Asher's, also extending from east to west.  ⁴  Then comes Manasseh south of Naphtali, and its territory also extends from east to west.  ⁵  South of Manasseh is Ephraim,  ⁶  and then Reuben,  ⁷  and then Judah, all of whose boundaries extend from east to west.
   ⁸  "South of Judah is the land set aside for a special purpose. It will be 8¦ miles [8]  wide and will extend as far east and west as the tribal territories, with the Temple at the center.
   ⁹  "The area set aside for the LORD's Temple will be 8¦ miles long and 6ª miles wide. [9]   ¹⁰  For the priests there will be a strip of land measuring 8¦ miles long by 3¦ miles wide, [10]  with the LORD's Temple at the center.  ¹¹  This area is set aside for the ordained priests, the descendants of Zadok who served me faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites.  ¹²  It will be their special portion when the land is distributed, the most sacred land of all. Next to the priests' territory will lie the land where the other Levites will live.
   ¹³  "The land allotted to the Levites will be the same size and shape as that belonging to the priests—8¦ miles long and 3¦ miles wide. Together these portions of land will measure 8¦ miles long by 6ª miles wide. [13]   ¹⁴  None of this special land may ever be sold or traded or used by others, for it belongs to the LORD; it is set apart as holy.
   ¹⁵  "An additional strip of land 8¦ miles long by 1ª miles wide, [15]  south of the sacred Temple area, will be allotted for public use—homes, pasturelands, and common lands, with a city at the center.  ¹⁶  The city will measure 1½ miles [16]  on each side—north, south, east, and west.  ¹⁷  Open lands will surround the city for 150 yards [17]  in every direction.  ¹⁸  Outside the city there will be a farming area that stretches 3¦ miles to the east and 3¦ miles to the west [18]  along the border of the sacred area. This farmland will produce food for the people working in the city.  ¹⁹  Those who come from the various tribes to work in the city may farm it.  ²⁰  This entire area—including the sacred lands and the city—is a square that measures 8¦ miles [20]  on each side.
   ²¹  "The areas that remain, to the east and to the west of the sacred lands and the city, will belong to the prince. Each of these areas will be 8¦ miles wide, extending in opposite directions to the eastern and western borders of Israel, with the sacred lands and the sanctuary of the Temple in the center.  ²²  So the prince's land will include everything between the territories allotted to Judah and Benjamin, except for the areas set aside for the sacred lands and the city.
   ²³  "These are the territories allotted to the rest of the tribes. Benjamin's territory lies just south of the prince's lands, and it extends across the entire land of Israel from east to west.  ²⁴  South of Benjamin's territory lies that of Simeon, also extending across the land from east to west.  ²⁵  Next is the territory of Issachar with the same eastern and western boundaries.
   ²⁶  "Then comes the territory of Zebulun, which also extends across the land from east to west.  ²⁷  The territory of Gad is just south of Zebulun with the same borders to the east and west.  ²⁸  The southern border of Gad runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh [28]  and then follows the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean. [28] 
   ²⁹  "These are the allotments that will be set aside for each tribe's exclusive possession. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!

The Gates of the City
 ³⁰  "These will be the exits to the city: On the north wall, which is 1½ miles long,  ³¹  there will be three gates, each one named after a tribe of Israel. The first will be named for Reuben, the second for Judah, and the third for Levi.  ³²  On the east wall, also 1½ miles long, the gates will be named for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan.  ³³  The south wall, also 1½ miles long, will have gates named for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun.  ³⁴  And on the west wall, also 1½ miles long, the gates will be named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.
   ³⁵  "The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. [35]  And from that day the name of the city will be `The LORD Is There.' [35] "

<<  47:3 Hebrew 1,000 cubits [530 meters]; also in 47:4, 5.
<<  47:8 Hebrew the sea.
<<  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.
<<  47:18a Hebrew the eastern sea. 47:18b As in Greek version; Hebrew reads you will measure.
<<  47:19 Hebrew waters of Meribath-kadesh.
<<  48:8 Hebrew 25,000 cubits [13.3 kilometers].
<<  48:9 As in one Greek manuscript and the Greek reading in 45:1: 25,000 cubits [13.3 kilometers] long and 20,000 cubits [10.6 kilometers] wide; Hebrew reads 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits [3¦ miles or 5.3 kilometers] wide. Similarly in 48:13b. Compare 45:1-5; 48:10-13.
<<  48:10 Hebrew 25,000 cubits [13.3 kilometers] long by 10,000 cubits [5.3 kilometers] wide; also in 48:13a.
<<  48:13 See note on 48:9.
<<  48:15 Hebrew 25,000 cubits [13.3 kilometers] long by 5,000 cubits [2.65 kilometers] wide.
<<  48:16 Hebrew 4,500 cubits [2.4 kilometers]; also in 48:30, 32, 33, 34.
<<  48:17 Hebrew 250 cubits [133 meters].
<<  48:18 Hebrew 10,000 cubits [5.3 kilometers] to the east and 10,000 cubits to the west.
<<  48:20 Hebrew 25,000 cubits [13.3 kilometers]; also in 48:21.
<<  48:28a Hebrew waters of Meribath-kadesh. 48:28b Hebrew the great sea.
<<  48:35a Hebrew 18,000 cubits [9.6 kilometers]. 48:35b Hebrew Yahweh Shammah.

1 John 3

 ¹  "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know him."  ²  Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.  ³  And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
   ⁴  Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.  ⁵  And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.  ⁶  Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.
   ⁷  Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.  ⁸  But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.  ⁹  Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life [9]  is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God.  ¹⁰  So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers [10]  does not belong to God.

Love One Another
 ¹¹  This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  ¹²  We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.  ¹³  So don't be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, [13]  if the world hates you.
   ¹⁴  If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, [14]  it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.  ¹⁵  Anyone who hates another brother or sister [15]  is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them.
   ¹⁶  We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.  ¹⁷  If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion - how can God's love be in that person?    ¹⁸  Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.  ¹⁹  Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.  ²⁰  Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
   ²¹  Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.  ²²  And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
   ²³  And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.  ²⁴  Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

<<  3:9 Greek because his seed.
<<  3:10 Greek does not love his brother.
<<  3:13 Greek brothers.
<<  3:14 Greek the brothers; similarly in 3:16.
<<  3:15 Greek hates his brother.
<<  3:17 Greek sees his brother.