Ezekiel 47; Ezekiel 48; 1 John 3

Ezekiel 47

1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side [of the threshold] of the temple, south of the altar.

2 Next he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east; there the water was trickling from the south side.

3 As the man went out east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a third of a mile and led me through the water. It came up to [my] ankles.

4 Then he measured off a third [of a mile] and led me through the water. It came up to [my] knees. He measured off another third [of a mile] and led me through [the water]. It came up to [my] waist.

5 Again he measured off a third of a [mile], and it was a river that I could not cross [on foot]. For the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed [on foot].

6 He asked me, "Do you see [this], son of man?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river.

7 When I had returned, I saw a very large number of trees along both sides of the riverbank.

8 He said to me, "This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah. When it enters the sea, the sea of foul water, the water [of the sea] becomes fresh.

9 Every [kind of] living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows, and there will be a huge number of fish because this water goes there. Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes.

10 Fishermen will stand beside it from En-gedi to En-eglaim. These will become places where nets are spread out to dry. Their fish will consist of many different kinds, like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.

11 Yet its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be left for salt.

12 All [kinds of] trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fresh fruit because the water [comes] from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for medicine."

13 This is what the Lord God says: "This is the border you will [use to] divide the land as an inheritance for the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two shares.

14 You will inherit it in equal portions, since I swore to give it to your ancestors. So this land will fall to you as an inheritance.

15 "This is to be the border of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad,

16 Berothah, and Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), [as far as] Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.

17 So the border will run from the sea to Hazar-enon at the border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.

18 On the east side it will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; you will measure from the [northern] border to the eastern sea. This will be the eastern side.

19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and on to the Brook [of Egypt] as far as the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern side.

20 On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border, from the [southern] border up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.

21 "You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.

22 You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners living among you, who have fathered children among you. You will treat them like native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

23 In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will assign his inheritance there." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

Ezekiel 48

1 "Now these are the names of the tribes: From the northern end, along the road of Hethlon, to Lebo-hamath as far as Hazar-enon, at the northern border of Damascus, alongside Hamath and extending from the eastern side to the sea, will be Dan-one portion.

2 Next to the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, will be Asher-one [portion].

3 Next to the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, will be Naphtali-one [portion].

4 Next to the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, will be Manasseh-one [portion].

5 Next to the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, will be Ephraim-one [portion].

6 Next to the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, will be Reuben-one [portion].

7 Next to the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, will be Judah-one [portion].

8 "Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate [to the Lord], eight and one-third [miles] wide, and as long as one of the [tribal] portions from the east side to the west. The sanctuary will be in the middle of it.

9 "The [special] portion you donate to the Lord will be eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide.

10 This holy donation will be set apart for the priests [alone]. It will be eight and one-third [miles long] on the northern side, three and one-third [miles] wide on the western side, three and one-third [miles] wide on the eastern side, and eight and one-third [miles] long on the southern side. The Lord's sanctuary will be in the middle of it.

11 It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.

12 It will be a special donation for them out of the [holy] donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites.

13 "Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites [will have an area] eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide. The total length will be eight and one-third [miles] and the width three and one-third [miles].

14 They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice [part] of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.

15 "The remaining [area], one and two-thirds [of a mile] wide and eight and one-third [miles long], will be for common use by the city, for [both] residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it.

16 These are the city's measurements: one and a half [miles] on the north side; one and a half [miles] on the south side; one and a half [miles] on the east side; and one and a half [miles] on the west side.

17 The city's open space will extend: 425 [feet] to the north, 425 [feet] to the south, 425 [feet] to the east, and 425 [feet] to the west.

18 "The remainder of the length alongside the holy donation will be three and one-third [miles] to the east and three and one-third [miles] to the west. It will run alongside the holy donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city.

19 The city's workers from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it.

20 The entire donation will be eight and one-third [miles] by eight and one-third [miles]; you are to set apart the holy donation along with the city property as a square [area].

21 "The remaining [area] on both sides of the holy donation and the city property will belong to the prince. He will own [the land] adjacent to the [tribal] portions, next to the eight and one-third [miles]of the donation as far as the eastern border andnext to the eight and one-third [miles of the donation] as far as the western border. The holy donation and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it.

22 Except for the Levitical property and the city property in the middle of the area belonging to the prince, the area between the territory of Judah and that of Benjamin will belong to the prince.

23 "As for the rest of the tribes: From the east side to the west, will be Benjamin-one [portion].

24 Next to the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, will be Simeon-one [portion].

25 Next to the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, will be Issachar-one [portion].

26 Next to the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, will be Zebulun-one [portion].

27 Next to the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, will be Gad-one [portion].

28 Next to the territory of Gad toward the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook [of Egypt], and out to the Mediterranean Sea.

29 This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to Israel's tribes, and these will be their portions." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

30 "These are the exits of the city: On the north side, which measures one and a half [miles],

31 there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi.

32 On the east side, which is one and a half [miles], there will be three gates: one, the gate of Joseph; one, the gate of Benjamin; and one, the gate of Dan.

33 On the south side, which measures one and a half [miles], there will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun.

34 On the west side, which is one and a half [miles], there will be three gates: one, the gate of Gad; one, the gate of Asher; and one, the gate of Naphtali.

35 The perimeter [of the city] will be six [miles], and the name of the city from that day on will be: Yahweh Is There."

1 John 3

1 Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him.

2 Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law.

5 You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins, and there is no sin in Him.

6 Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works.

9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

10 This is how God's children-and the Devil's children-are made evident. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.

11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another,

12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.

17 If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him-how can God's love reside in him?

18 Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth;

19 that is how we will know we are of the truth, and will convince our hearts in His presence,

20 because if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.

21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn [us] we have confidence before God,

22 and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.

23 Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us.

24 The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us.