~ The River From the Temple ~

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water coming out
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.
He then brought me out through the north gate
and led me around the outside
to the outer gate facing east,
and the water was flowing from the south side.

As the man went eastward
with a measuring line in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand cubits
and led me through water that was knee-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and led me through water that was up to the waist.
He measured off another thousand,
but now it was a river that I could not cross,
because the water had risen
and was deep enough to swim in --
a river that no one could cross.
He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"

Then he led me back to the bank of the river.
When I arrived there,
I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.
He said to me,
"This water flows toward the eastern region
and goes down into the Arabah,
where it enters the Sea.
When it empties into the Sea,
the water there becomes fresh.
Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.
There will be large numbers of fish,
because this water flows there
and makes the salt water fresh;
so where the river flows everything will live.
Fishermen will stand along the shore;
from En Gedi to En Eglaim
there will be places for spreading net.
The fish will be 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.
Fruit trees of the kinds will grow on both banks of the river.
their leaves will not wither,
nor will their fruit fail.
Every month they will bear,
because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.
Their fruit will serve for food
and their leaves for healing."

(Ezekiel 47:1-12)