The Babylonian Exile

When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river.

And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.

Wherever the river flows, there will be swarms of living creatures and a great number of fish, because it flows there and makes the waters fresh; so wherever the river flows, everything will flourish.

Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.

Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.”

This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions.

You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with an uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will fall to you as an inheritance.

This shall be the boundary of the land:

On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad, Berothah, and Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.

So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.

On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Eastern Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.

On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern boundary.

And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.

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

You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who dwell among you and who have children. You are to treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

In whatever tribe a foreigner dwells, you are to assign his inheritance there,” declares the Lord GOD.

“Now these are the names of the tribes: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion bordering the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath and running on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus with Hamath to the north, and extending from the east side to the west side.

Asher will have one portion bordering the territory of Dan from east to west.

Naphtali will have one portion bordering the territory of Asher from east to west.

Manasseh will have one portion bordering the territory of Naphtali from east to west.

Ephraim will have one portion bordering the territory of Manasseh from east to west.

Reuben will have one portion bordering the territory of Ephraim from east to west.

Judah will have one portion bordering the territory of Reuben from east to west.

Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and the length of a tribal portion from east to west. In the center will be the sanctuary.