Waters from under the Temple

Ezekiel is brought back to the temple entrance and sees water emerging from beneath the threshold and south of the altar. The guide leads him out and eastward, measuring the stream in successive thousand-cubit stages until it deepens from ankle-deep to knee-deep to a river too deep to cross on foot. The growing water signals an expanding life force issuing from the sanctuary itself.

T¹hen the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw 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 temple, south of the altar. ²Next he brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and there I saw the water trickling out from the south side. ³As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through ankle-deep water. ⁴Then he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through knee-deep water. ⁵Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming — a river that could not be crossed on foot. ⁶“Son of man, do you see this?” he asked. Then he led me back to the bank of the river.

When Ezekiel returns to the riverbank, he sees many trees along both sides. The guide explains that the river flows east into the Arabah and on to the Dead Sea, where its waters become fresh and teem with life, supporting fish in abundance and fishermen along the shore. Even the marshes retain salt, while fruit trees fed by sanctuary water yield food every month and leaves for healing.

⁷When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river. ⁸And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Dead Sea, the water there becomes fresh. ⁹Wherever 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. ¹⁰Fishermen 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. ¹¹But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. ¹²Along 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.”