1
The man led me back to the entrance of the Temple. Water was coming out from under the entrance and flowing east, the direction the Temple faced. It was flowing down from under the south part of the Temple past the south side of the altar.
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The man then took me out of the Temple area by way of the north gate and led me around to the gate that faces east. A small stream of water was flowing out at the south side of the gate.
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With his measuring rod the man measured 560 yards downstream to the east and told me to wade through the stream there. The water came only to my ankles.
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Then he measured another 560 yards, and the water came up to my knees. Another 560 yards farther down, the water was up to my waist.
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He measured 560 yards more, and there the stream was so deep I could not wade through it. It was too deep to cross except by swimming.
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He said to me, "Mortal man, note all this carefully." Then the man took me back to the riverbank,
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and when I got there, I saw that there were very many trees on each bank.
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He said to me, "This water flows through the land to the east and down into the Jordan Valley and to the Dead Sea. When it flows into the Dead Sea, it replaces the salt water of that sea with fresh water.
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Wherever the stream flows, there will be all kinds of animals and fish. The stream will make the water of the Dead Sea fresh, and wherever it flows, it will bring life.
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From the Springs of Engedi all the way to the Springs of Eneglaim, there will be fishermen on the shore of the sea, and they will spread out their nets there to dry. There will be as many different kinds of fish there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea.
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But the water in the marshes and ponds along the shore will not be made fresh. They will remain there as a source of salt.
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On each bank of the stream all kinds of trees will grow to provide food. Their leaves will never wither, and they will never stop bearing fruit. They will have fresh fruit every month, because they are watered by the stream that flows from the Temple. The trees will provide food, and their leaves will be used for healing people."
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The Sovereign LORD said, "These are the boundaries of the land that is to be divided among the twelve tribes, with the tribe of Joseph receiving two sections.
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I solemnly promised your ancestors that I would give them possession of this land; now divide it equally among you.
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"The northern boundary runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad,
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to the cities of Berothah and Sibraim (they are located between the territory of the kingdom of Damascus and that of the kingdom of Hamath), and to the city of Ticon (located by the border of the district of Hauran).
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So the northern boundary runs from the Mediterranean eastward to Enon City, with the border regions of Damascus and Hamath to the north of it.
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"The eastern boundary runs south from a point between the territory of Damascus and that of Hauran, with the Jordan River forming the boundary between the land of Israel on the west and Gilead on the east, as far as Tamar on the Dead Sea.
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"The southern boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh Meribah and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.
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"The western boundary is formed by the Mediterranean and runs north to a point west of Hamath Pass.
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"Divide this land among your tribes;
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it is to be your permanent possession. The foreigners who are living among you and who have had children born here are also to receive their share of the land when you divide it. They are to be treated like full Israelite citizens and are to draw lots for shares of the land along with the tribes of Israel.
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All foreign residents will receive their share with the people of the tribe among whom they are living. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken."
1
The northern boundary of the land runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to Enon City, to the boundary between the kingdoms of Damascus and Hamath. Each tribe is to receive one section of land extending from the eastern boundary west to the Mediterranean Sea, in the following order from north to south: Dan Asher Naphtali Manasseh Ephraim Reuben Judah
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The next section of the land is to be set apart for special use. It is to be 10 miles wide from north to south, and the same length from east to west as the sections given to the tribes. The Temple will be located within this section.
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In the center of this section, a special area 10 miles by 8 miles is to be dedicated to the LORD.
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The priests are to have a portion of this holy area. From east to west their portion is to measure 10 miles, and from north to south, 4 miles. The Temple of the LORD is to be located in the middle of this area.
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This holy area is to be for the priests who are descendants of Zadok. They served me faithfully and did not join the rest of the Israelites in doing wrong, as the other members of the tribe of Levi did.
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So they are to have a special area next to the area belonging to the Levites, and it will be the holiest of all.
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The Levites also are to have a special area, south of that of the priests. It too is to be 10 miles from east to west, by 4 miles from north to south.
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The area dedicated to the LORD is the best part of all the land, and none of it may be sold or exchanged or transferred to anyone else. It is holy and belongs to the LORD.
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The part of the special area that is left, 10 miles by 2 miles, is not holy, but is for the general use of the people. They may live there and use the land. The city is to be in the center of it,
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and it will be a square, 2,520 yards on each side.
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All around the city on each side there will be an open space 140 yards across.
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The land that is left after the city has been built in the area immediately to the south of the holy area---4 miles by 2 miles on the east and 4 miles by 2 miles on the west---is to be used as farmland by the people who live in the city.
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Anyone who lives in the city, no matter which tribe he comes from, may farm that land.
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And so the total area in the center of the section which was set apart will be a square measuring 10 miles on each side, and it will include the area occupied by the city.
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To the east and to the west of this area which contains the Temple, the priests' land, the Levites' land, and the city, the remaining land belongs to the ruling prince. It reaches east to the eastern boundary and west to the Mediterranean Sea, and is bounded on the north by the section belonging to Judah and on the south by the one belonging to Benjamin.
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South of this special section, each of the remaining tribes is to receive one section of land running from the eastern boundary west to the Mediterranean Sea, in the following order from north to south: Benjamin Simeon Issachar Zebulun Gad
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On the south side of the portion given to the tribe of Gad, the boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh, and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.
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The Sovereign LORD said, "That is the way the land is to be divided into sections for the tribes of Israel to possess."
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There are twelve entrances to the city of Jerusalem. Each of the four walls measures 2,520 yards and has three gates in it, each named for one of the tribes. The gates in the north wall are named for Reuben, Judah, and Levi; those in the east wall, for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; those in the south wall, for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; and those in the west wall are named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.
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The total length of the wall on all four sides of the city is 10,080 yards. The name of the city from now on will be "The- LORD -Is-Here!"
1
At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
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When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria.
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Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.
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Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David.
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He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant,
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and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.
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She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger---there was no room for them to stay in the inn.
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There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks.
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An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid,
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but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people.
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This very day in David's town your Savior was born---Christ the Lord!
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And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
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Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:
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"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!"
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When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us."
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So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger.
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When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child.
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All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said.
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Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.
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The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.
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A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
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The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,
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as it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord."
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They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.
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At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him
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and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah.
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Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required,
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Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:
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"Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.
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With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
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which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
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A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel."
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The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.
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Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against
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and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart."
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There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying.
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That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.
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When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.
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The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.
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Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.
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When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual.
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When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this;
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they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
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They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.
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On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
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All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.
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His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you."
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He answered them, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?"
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But they did not understand his answer.
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So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
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Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.
