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47 Then he brought me back to the door of the Temple. I saw a stream flowing eastward from beneath the Temple and passing to the right of the altar, that is, on its south side. 2 Then he brought me outside the wall through the north passageway[a] and around to the eastern entrance, where I saw the stream flowing along on the south side of the eastern passageway. 3 Measuring as he went, he took me 1,500 feet east along the stream and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles. 4 He measured off another 1,500 feet and told me to cross again. This time the water was up to my knees. 5 Fifteen hundred feet after that it was up to my waist. Another 1,500 feet and it had become a river so deep I wouldn’t be able to get across unless I were to swim. It was too deep to cross on foot.
6 He told me to keep in mind what I had seen, then led me back along the bank. 7 And now, to my surprise,[b] many trees were growing on both sides of the river!
8 He told me: “This river flows east through the desert and the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea, where it will heal the salty waters and make them fresh and pure. 9 Everything touching the water of this river shall live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea, fishing all the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim. The shores will be filled with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea just as they do the Mediterranean! 11 But the marshes and swamps will not be healed; they will still be salty. 12 All kinds of fruit trees will grow along the riverbanks. The leaves will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit. There will be a new crop every month—without fail! For they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for medicine.”
13 The Lord God says: “Here are the instructions for dividing the land to the twelve tribes of Israel: The tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh)[c] shall be given two sections. 14 Otherwise, each tribe will have an equal share. I promised with hand raised in oath of truth to give the land to your fathers, and you shall inherit it now.
15 “The northern boundary will run from the Mediterranean toward Hethlon, then on through Labweh[d] to Zedad; 16 then 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 be from the Mediterranean to Hazar-enan, on the border with Hamath to the north and Damascus to the south.
18 “The eastern border will run south from Hazar-enan to Mount Hauran, where it will bend westward to the Jordan at the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, and down along the Jordan River separating Israel from Gilead, past the Dead Sea to Tamar.
19 “The southern border will go west from Tamar to the springs at Meribath-kadesh and then follow the course of the brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish) to the Mediterranean.
20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean itself will be your boundary, from the southern boundary to the point where the northern boundary begins.
21 “Divide the land within these boundaries among the tribes of Israel. 22 Distribute the land as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who live among you with their families. All children born in the land—whether or not their parents are foreigners—are to be considered citizens and have the same rights your own children have. 23 All these immigrants are to be given land according to the tribe where they now live.
48 “Here is the list of the tribes and the territory each is to get. For Dan: From the northwest boundary at the Mediterranean, across to Hethlon, then to Labweh, and then on to Hazar-enan on the border between Damascus to the south and Hamath to the north. Those are the eastern and western limits of the land. 2 Asher’s territory lies south of Dan’s and has the same east and west boundaries. 3 Naphtali’s land lies south of Asher’s, with the same boundary lines on the east and the west. 4 Then comes Manasseh, south of Naphtali, with the same eastern and western boundary lines. 5-7 Next, to the south, is Ephraim, and then Reuben and then Judah, all with the same boundaries on the east and the west.
8 “South of Judah is the land set aside for the Temple. It has the same eastern and western boundaries as the tribal units, with the Temple in the center. 9 This Temple area will be 8-1/3 miles long and 6-2/3 miles wide.
10 “A strip of land measuring 8-1/3 miles long by 3-1/3 miles wide, north to south, surrounds the Temple. 11 It is for the priests, that is, the sons of Zadok who obeyed me and didn’t go into sin when the people of Israel and the rest of their tribe of Levi did. 12 It is their special portion when the land is distributed, the most sacred land of all. Next to it lies the area where the other Levites will live. 13 It will be of the same size and shape as the first. Together they measure 8-1/3 miles by 6-2/3 miles. 14 None of this special land shall ever be sold or traded or used by others, for it belongs to the Lord; it is holy.
15 “The strip of land 8-1/3 miles long by 1-2/3 miles wide, south of the Temple section, is for public use—homes, pasture, and parks, with a city in the center. 16 The city itself is to be 1-1/2 miles square. 17 Open land for pastures shall surround the city for approximately a tenth of a mile.[e] 18 Outside the city, stretching east and west for three miles alongside the holy grounds, is garden area belonging to the city, for public use. 19 It is open to anyone working in the city, no matter where he comes from in Israel.
20 “The entire area—including sacred lands and city lands—is 8-1/3 miles square.
21-22 “The land on both sides of this area, extending clear out to the eastern and western boundaries of Israel, shall belong to the prince. This land, lying between the sections allotted to Judah and Benjamin, is 8-1/3 miles square on each side of the sacred and city lands.
23 “The sections given to the remaining tribes are as follows: Benjamin’s section extends across the entire country of Israel, from its eastern border clear across to the western border. 24 South of Benjamin’s area lies that of Simeon, also extending out to these same eastern and western borders. 25 Next is Issachar, with the same boundaries. 26 Then comes Zebulun, also extending all the way across. 27-28 Then Gad, with the same borders on east and west, while its south border runs from Tamar to the springs at Meribath-kadesh, and then follows the brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish) to the Mediterranean. 29 These are the allotments to be made to each tribe,” says the Lord God.
30-31 “Each city gate will be named in honor of one of the tribes of Israel. On the north side, with its 1-1/2-mile wall, there will be three gates, one named for Reuben, one for Judah, and one for Levi. 32 On the east side, with its 1-1/2-mile wall, the gates will be named for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. 33 The south wall, also the same length, will have the gates of Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; 34 on the 1-1/2 miles of the west side, they will be named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.
35 “The entire circumference of the city is six miles. And the name of the city will be ‘The City of God.’”[f]
11 Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven, I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls.
12 Be careful how you behave among your unsaved neighbors; for then, even if they are suspicious of you and talk against you, they will end up praising God for your good works when Christ returns.
13 For the Lord’s sake, obey every law of your government: those of the king as head of the state, 14 and those of the king’s officers, for he has sent them to punish all who do wrong, and to honor those who do right.
15 It is God’s will that your good lives should silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without knowing what it can do for them, having never experienced its power. 16 You are free from the law, but that doesn’t mean you are free to do wrong. Live as those who are free to do only God’s will at all times.
17 Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor the government.
18 Servants, you must respect your masters and do whatever they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are tough and cruel. 19 Praise the Lord if you are punished for doing right! 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong; but if you do right and suffer for it, and are patient beneath the blows, God is well pleased.
21 This suffering is all part of the work God has given you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps: 22 He never sinned, never told a lie, 23 never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on. For his wounds have healed ours! 25 Like sheep you wandered away from God, but now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls who keeps you safe from all attacks.
3 1-2 Wives, fit in with your husbands’ plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words.
3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on jewelry, or beautiful clothes, or hair arrangement. 4 Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to God. 5 That kind of deep beauty was seen in the saintly women of old, who trusted God and fitted in with their husbands’ plans.
6 Sarah, for instance, obeyed her husband Abraham, honoring him as head of the house. And if you do the same, you will be following in her steps like good daughters and doing what is right; then you will not need to fear offending your husbands.[a]
7 You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex. Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers.
49-50 Never forget your promises to me your servant, for they are my only hope. They give me strength in all my troubles; how they refresh and revive me! 51 Proud men hold me in contempt for obedience to God, but I stand unmoved. 52 From my earliest youth I have tried to obey you; your Word has been my comfort.
53 I am very angry with those who spurn your commands. 54 For these laws of yours have been my source of joy and singing through all these years of my earthly pilgrimage. 55 I obey them even at night and keep my thoughts, O Lord, on you. 56 What a blessing this has been to me—to constantly obey.
57 Jehovah is mine! And I promise to obey! 58 With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful just as you promised. 59-60 I thought about the wrong direction in which I was headed, and turned around and came running back to you. 61 Evil men have tried to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your laws.
62 At midnight I will rise to give my thanks to you for your good laws. 63 Anyone is my brother who fears and trusts the Lord and obeys him. 64 O Lord, the earth is full of your loving-kindness! Teach me your good paths.
12 When the godly are successful, everyone is glad. When the wicked succeed, everyone is sad.
13 A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.