Ezekiel 47; Ezekiel 48; 1 John 3

Ezekiel 47

1 Then the man took me back to the door of the temple. I saw water flowing from under the entrance of the temple toward the east. (The temple faced east.) The water was flowing under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.

2 Then he led me through the north gate and around to the outer east gate. The water was flowing down the south side of the gate.

3 With a measuring line in his hand, the man went eastward. He measured off 1,500 feet and led me through the water. The water came up to my ankles.

4 Then he measured off another 1,500 feet and led me through the water. The water came up to my knees. He measured off another 1,500 feet and led me through the water. The water came up to my waist.

5 Then he measured another 1,500 feet. But the water had risen so much that it became a river which I couldn't cross. The river was too deep to cross except by swimming.

6 Then he asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"

7 Then the man led me back along the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw many trees on both sides of the river.

8 Then the man said to me, "This water flows through the land to the east, down into the Jordan Valley, and into the Dead Sea. When the water flows into the Dead Sea, it will replace the salt water there with fresh water.

9 Wherever the river flows, there will be many fish and animals. The river will make the water in the Dead Sea fresh. Wherever the river flows, it will bring life.

10 From En Gedi to En Eglaim people will be standing on the shore of the sea with their fishing nets spread out. As many kinds of fish will be there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea.

11 But the water in the swamps and marshes won't become fresh. It will remain salty.

12 All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves won't wither, and they won't fail to produce fruit. Each month they will produce fresh fruit because this water flows from the holy place. The fruit will be good food, and the leaves will be used for healing."

13 This is what the Almighty LORD says: These are the borders of the land that is to be divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph gets two parts.

14 Divide the land equally. I raised my hand and swore that I would give the land to your ancestors. So this land will be your inheritance.

15 This is the northern border for the land: On the north side the border will run from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Hethlon and Hamath Pass. It will run through the city of Zedad and through

16 Berothah and Sibraim, which are between the borders of Damascus and Hamath. It will run to Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.

17 So the border will run from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazar Enon on the border of Damascus. The border of Hamath will lie to the north. This is the north side.

18 On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus. The Jordan River will serve as the border between Gilead and the land of Israel. The border will continue from the Dead Sea down to Tamar. This is the east side.

19 On the south side the border will run from Tamar to the oasis at Meribah in Kadesh along the ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern border.

20 On the west side the Mediterranean Sea is the border up to a point opposite Hamath Pass. This is the west side.

21 Divide this land among yourselves for each of the tribes of Israel.

22 Divide it by drawing lots. This land will be for you. It will also be for the foreign residents who live among you and have given birth to children while they lived with you. Think of them as Israelites. They will draw lots with you for their inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

23 Foreign residents will receive their share of the inheritance with the people of the tribe among whom they are living, declares the Almighty LORD.

Ezekiel 48

1 These are the names of the tribes. Beginning at the northern border, Dan will have one part of the land. It will extend from the road to Hethlon to Hamath Pass and Hazar Enon, on the northern border of Damascus near Hamath, from the eastern border to the western border.

2 Asher will have one part of the land and border Dan on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

3 Naphtali will have one part of the land and border Asher on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

4 Manasseh will have one part of the land and border Naphtali on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

5 Ephraim will have one part of the land and border Manasseh on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

6 Reuben will have one part of the land and border Ephraim on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

7 Judah will have one part of the land and border Reuben on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

8 The land that you set aside as a special gift for the LORD will border Judah on the south. It will be 43,750 feet wide, and it will be as long as one of the sections of the tribes. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border, and the holy place will be in the middle of it.

9 This special land that you set aside for the LORD will be 43,750 feet long and 17,500 feet wide.

10 This holy area will belong to the priests. On the north side it will be 43,750 feet long. On the west side it will be 17,500 feet wide. On the east side it will be 17,500 feet wide. On the south side it will be 43,750 feet long. The LORD's holy place will be in the middle of it.

11 This land that has been set apart will belong to the priests who are descendants of Zadok. They took care of my holy place. They didn't wander away with the Israelites as the Levites did.

12 So they will have a special portion from the land. It will be the holiest part of land, next to the land belonging to the Levites.

13 Alongside the land belonging to the priests will be the land belonging to the Levites. It will be 43,750 feet long and 17,500 feet wide.

14 They must not sell any of it or trade any of it. They must not let others have the best part of the land, because the land is the LORD's and it is holy.

15 A strip of land, 8,750 feet wide by 43,750 feet long, will be left for cities, homes, and pastures. The city will be in the middle of it.

16 These will be the measurements for the city: On the north side it will be 7,875 feet long. On the south side it will be 7,875 feet long. On the east side it will be 7,875 feet wide. And on the west side it will be 7,875 feet wide.

17 The city's pastureland will be 4,375 feet on the north, 4,375 feet on the south, 4,375 feet on the east, and 4,375 feet on the west.

18 The rest of the land borders the holy area and runs lengthwise. This land will be 17,500 feet on its east side and 17,500 feet on its west side. It will be used to provide food for the city workers.

19 City workers from all the tribes in Israel will farm it.

20 The whole area will be 43,750 feet square. You must give this land as a special gift to the LORD along with the city property.

21 Whatever is left on the east side and west side of the holy area and the city property will belong to the prince. This land will extend eastward from the holy area to the eastern border, and it will extend westward to the western border. Both of these areas are as long as one of the sections of the tribes. These areas belong to the prince, and the holy area with the holy place of the temple will be between them.

22 So the Levites' property and the city's property will be between the prince's part of the land. What is between Judah's and Benjamin's boundaries will belong to the prince.

23 This is what the rest of the tribes will receive: Benjamin will have one part of the land. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

24 Simeon will have one part of the land and border Benjamin on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

25 Issachar will have one part of the land and border Simeon on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

26 Zebulun will have one part of the land and border Issachar on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

27 Gad will have one part of the land and border Zebulun on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

28 The southern border of Gad will run south from Tamar to the oasis at Meribah in Kadesh, and it will run along the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

29 This is the land you will divide as your inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their areas, declares the Almighty LORD.

30 These will be the exits for the city: The north side will be 7,875 feet long.

31 The gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be Reuben Gate, Judah Gate, and Levi Gate.

32 The east side will be 7,875 feet long. The three gates on the east side will be Joseph Gate, Benjamin Gate, and Dan Gate.

33 The south side will be 7,875 feet long. The three gates on the south side will be Simeon Gate, Issachar Gate, and Zebulun Gate.

34 The west side will be 7,875 feet long. The three gates on the west side will be Gad Gate, Asher Gate, and Naphtali Gate.

35 The city will measure about 31,500 feet all the way around. From then on the city's name will be: The LORD Is There.

1 John 3

1 Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God's dear children. And that's what we are. For this reason the world doesn't recognize us, and it didn't recognize him either.

2 Dear friends, now we are God's children. What we will be isn't completely clear yet. We do know that when Christ appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

3 So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure.

4 Those who live sinful lives are disobeying God. Sin is disobedience.

5 You know that Christ appeared in order to take away our sins. He isn't sinful.

6 Those who live in Christ don't go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven't seen or known Christ.

7 Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you. Whoever does what God approves of has God's approval as Christ has God's approval.

8 The person who lives a sinful life belongs to the devil, because the devil has been committing sin since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to destroy what the devil does.

9 Those who have been born from God don't live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can't live sinful lives. They have been born from God.

10 This is the way God's children are distinguished from the devil's children. Everyone who doesn't do what is right or love other believers isn't God's child.

11 The message that you have heard from the beginning is to love each other.

12 Don't be like Cain. He was a child of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain murder his brother? Because the things Cain did were evil and the things his brother did had God's approval.

13 Brothers and sisters, don't be surprised if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers. The person who doesn't grow in love remains in death.

15 Everyone who hates another believer is a murderer, and you know that a murderer doesn't have eternal life.

16 We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers.

17 Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God's love be in that person if he doesn't bother to help the other believer?

18 Dear children, we must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.

19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be reassured in his presence.

20 Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.

21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we can boldly look to God

22 and receive from him anything we ask. We receive it because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

23 This is his commandment: to believe in his Son, the one named Jesus Christ, and to love each other as he commanded us.

24 Those who obey Christ's commandments live in God, and God lives in them. We know that he lives in us because he has given us the Spirit.