Ezekiel 47:7-12
ז) בְּשׁוּבֵנִי וְהִנֵּה אֶל שְׂפַת הַנַּחַל עֵץ רַב מְאֹד מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה: ח) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה יוֹצְאִים אֶל הַגְּלִילָה הַקַּדְמוֹנָה וְיָרְדוּ עַל הָעֲרָבָה וּבָאוּ הַיָּמָּה אֶל הַיָּמָּה הַמּוּצָאִים וְנִרְפּאוּ [וְנִרְפּוּ] הַמָּיִם: ט) וְהָיָה כָל נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה ׀ אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁרֹץ אֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא שָׁם נַחֲלַיִם יִחְיֶה וְהָיָה הַדָּגָה רַבָּה מְאֹד כִּי בָאוּ שָׁמָּה הַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה וְיֵרָפְאוּ וָחָי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא שָׁמָּה הַנָּחַל: י) וְהָיָה יעָמְדוּ [עָמְדוּ] עָלָיו דַּוָּגִים מֵעֵין גֶּדִי וְעַד עֵין עֶגְלַיִם מִשְׁטוֹחַ לַחֲרָמִים יִהְיוּ לְמִינָה תִּהְיֶה דְגָתָם כִּדְגַת הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל רַבָּה מְאֹד: יא) בִּצֹּאתָו [בִּצֹּאתָיו] וּגְבָאָיו וְלֹא יֵרָפְאוּ לְמֶלַח נִתָּנוּ: יב) וְעַל הַנַּחַל יַעֲלֶה עַל שְׂפָתוֹ מִזֶּה ׀ וּמִזֶּה ׀ כָּל עֵץ מַאֲכָל לֹא יִבּוֹל עָלֵהוּ וְלֹא יִתֹּם פִּרְיוֹ לָחֳדָשָׁיו יְבַכֵּר כִּי מֵימָיו מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הֵמָּה יוֹצְאִים וְהָיָו [וְהָיָה] פִרְיוֹ לְמַאֲכָל וְעָלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה:
When I returned, and behold, upon the bank of the stream was a very great profusion of trees on either side. And he said to me, "This water is going out to the eastern frontier, and will descend upon the plain, and come to the sea, to the sea that is brought out, and the waters will be healed. And every living creature that will swarm wherever the two streams will go, will live, and the fish will be very abundant, for these waters have come there, and wherever the stream flows, they shall be healed and live. And it will be [a place] beside which fishermen will stand, from Ein-gedi to Ein-eglaim; a place for spreading nets they will be; their fish will be of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. Its marshes and its pools will not be healed; they will be set aside for salt [mines]. But by the stream, on its bank from either side, will grow every tree for food; its leaf will not wither, neither will its fruit end; month after month its fruits will ripen, for its waters will emanate from the Sanctuary, and its fruit shall be for food and its leaves for a cure. [Translation by Judaic Classics Library.]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What does this text promise? What is unique about this promise?

2. How does this image of utopia reflect the importance of abundant natural resources?

Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)