The vision of the holy waters issuing out from under the temple: the borders of the land to be divided among the twelve tribes.

¹ And he turned me back to the gate of the house. And behold, waters went out, from under the threshold of the house, toward the east. For the face of the house looked toward the east. But the waters descended on the right side of the temple, toward the south of the altar.¹

1. 47:1Waters: These waters are not to be understood literally (for there were none such that flowed from the temple); but mystically, of the baptism of Christ, and of his doctrine and his grace: the trees that grow on the banks are Christian virtues: the fishes are Christians, that spiritually live in and by these holy waters, the fishermen are the apostles, and apostolic preachers: the fenny places, where there is no health, are such as by being out of the church are separated from these waters of life.(Challoner)

² And he led me out, along the way of the north gate, and he turned me back toward the way outside the exterior gate, the way which looked toward the east. And behold, the waters overflowed on the right side.

³ Then the man who held the rope in his hand departed toward the east, and he measured one thousand cubits. And he led me forward, through the water, up to the ankles.

⁴ And again he measured one thousand, and he led me forward, through the water, up to the knees.

⁵ And he measured one thousand, and he led me forward, through the water, up to the waist. And he measured one thousand, into a torrent, through which I was not able to pass. For the waters had risen to become a profound torrent, which was not able to be crossed.

⁶ And he said to me: “Son of man, certainly you have seen.” And he led me out, and he turned me back to the bank of the torrent.

⁷ And when I had turned myself around, behold, on the bank of the torrent, there were very many trees on both sides.

⁸ And he said to me: “These waters, which go forth toward the hillocks of sand to the east, and which descend to the plains of the desert, will enter the sea, and will go out, and the waters will be healed.

⁹ And every living soul that moves, wherever the torrent arrives, will live. And there will be more than enough fish, after these waters have arrived there, and they will be healed. And all things will live, where the torrent arrives.

¹⁰ And fishermen will stand over these waters. There will be the drying of nets, from Engedi even to Eneglaim. There will be very many kinds of fish within it: a very great multitude, like the fish of the great sea.

¹¹ But on its shore and in the marshes, they will not be healed. For these will be made into salt pits.

¹² And above the torrent, on its banks on both sides, every kind of fruit tree will rise up. Their foliage will not fall away, and their fruit will not fail. Every single month they will bring forth first-fruits. For its waters will go forth from the sanctuary. And its fruits will be for food, and its leaves will be for medicine.”

¹³ Thus says the Lord God: “This is the border, by which you shall possess the land, in accord with the twelve tribes of Israel. For Joseph shall have a double portion.¹

1. 47:13The phrase ‘duplicem funiculum’ literally refers to a double rope, i.e. the rope or line used to measure each portion.(Conte)

¹⁴ And you shall possess it, each one in equal manner as his brother. I lifted up my hand over it, so that I might give it to your fathers. And this land shall fall to you as a possession.

¹⁵ Now this is the border of the land toward the northern region, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, arriving at Zedad:

¹⁶ Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the confines of Hamath, the house of Ticon, which is beside the border of Hauran,

¹⁷ and the border will be from the sea, even to the entrance of Enon, at the border of Damascus, and from the north to the north, at the border of Hamath, on the northern side.

¹⁸ Moreover, the eastern region will be from the midst of Hauran, and from the midst of Damascus, and from the midst of Gilead, and from the midst of the land of Israel, to the Jordan, marking the boundary to the eastern sea. For so shall you measure the eastern region.

¹⁹ Now the southern region, toward the meridian, will be from Tamar, even to the Waters of Contradiction at Kadesh, and from the Torrent, even to the great sea. And this is the southern region, toward the meridian.

²⁰ And the region toward the sea will have its confines from the great sea continuing directly until one arrives at Hamath. This is the region of the sea.

²¹ And you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.

²² And you shall distribute it by lot as an inheritance, for yourselves and for the new arrival who will be added to you, who will conceive sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the indigenous among the sons of Israel. They shall divide the possession with you, in the midst of the tribes of Israel.

²³ And in whatever tribe the new arrival will be, there you shall give a possession to him, says the Lord God.”