The first reading is a reading from the book of the prophet, Ezekiel.

The angel brought me Ezekiel back to the entrance of the temple of the Lord,

and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,

from the faucet of the temple toward the east,

and the water flow down from the right side of the temple south of the altar.

He led me outside by the north gate and around to the other gate facing the east where I saw

trickling from the right side. Then when he had walked off to east and with measuring core in his

hand, he measured off a thousand cubics and had me wade through the water, which was ankle deep. He measured off a thousand cubics and had me weighed through the water,

which was ankle deep. He measured off another thousand and once more had me weighed through the water,

which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade. The water was up to my waist.

Once more he measured off a thousand and there was now a river through which I could not wait, for the water

had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming.

He asked me, have you seen this son of man?

And he brought me to the bank of the river where he had me sit.

Along the bank of the river I saw many trees of both sides.

He said to me me this water flows into

the eastern district down from the Eroba the empties into the sea the salt waters and

which it makes fresh whereas the river flows wherever the river flows every sort of

living creature that can multiply shall live and there there shall be abundant fish for whatever, wherever this

water comes, the sea shall be made fresh along both banks of the river. Fruit trees of every kind

shall grow. Their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,

for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.

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