44
1 Then
he brought me
back by the
way of the
outer gate of
the sanctuary,
which looks toward
the east; and
it was shut.
2 The
LORD said to me,
“This gate shall
be shut. It
shall not be
opened, no man
shall enter in by
it; for the
LORD, the God
of Israel,
has entered in by
it. Therefore it
shall be shut.
3 As
for the prince,
he shall sit
in it as
prince to eat
bread before the
LORD. He
shall enter by the
way of the porch
of the gate,
and shall go
out the same
way.”
4 Then
he brought me
by the way
of the north
gate before the
house; and I
looked, and behold,
the LORD’s glory
filled the LORD’s
house; so I
fell on my
face.
5 The
LORD said to
me, “Son of
man, mark well,
and see with
your eyes, and
hear with your ears
all that I
tell you
concerning all the
ordinances of the
LORD’s house and
all its laws;
and mark well
the entrance of
the house, with
every exit of the
sanctuary.
6 You
shall tell the
rebellious, even
the house of
Israel, ‘The Lord
GOD says: “You
house of Israel,
let that be enough
of all your
abominations,
7 in
that you have
brought in
foreigners, uncircumcised
in heart and
uncircumcised in
flesh, to be
in my sanctuary,
to profane it, even
my house, when
you offer my
bread, the fat
and the blood;
and they have
broken my covenant,
to add to all
your abominations.
8 You
have not performed
the duty of
my holy things;
but you have
set performers of
my duty in
my sanctuary
for yourselves.”
9 The
Lord GOD says, “No
foreigner, uncircumcised
in heart and
uncircumcised in
flesh, shall enter
into my sanctuary,
of any foreigners
who are among
the children of
Israel.
10 “ ‘ “But
the Levites who
went far from
me when Israel
went astray, who
went astray from
me after their
idols, they will
bear their
iniquity.
11 Yet
they shall be
ministers in my
sanctuary, having
oversight at the
gates of the
house, and
ministering in the
house. They shall
kill the burnt
offering and the
sacrifice for the
people, and they
shall stand before
them to minister
to them.
12 Because
they ministered to
them before their
idols, and became
a stumbling block
of iniquity to
the house of
Israel, therefore
I have lifted
up my hand
against them,”
says the Lord
GOD, “and they
will bear their
iniquity.
13 They
shall not come
near to me,
to execute
the office of
priest to me,
nor to come
near to any
of my holy
things, to the
things that are
most holy; but
they will bear
their shame and
their abominations
which they have
committed.
14 Yet
I will make
them performers of
the duty of
the house, for
all its service
and for all
that will be
done therein.
15 “ ‘ “But
the Levitical
priests, the sons
of Zadok, who
performed the duty
of my sanctuary
when the children
of Israel went
astray from me,
shall come near
to me to
minister to me.
They shall stand
before me to
offer to me
the fat and
the blood,” says
the Lord GOD.
16 “They shall
enter into my sanctuary,
and they shall
come near to
my table, to
minister to me,
and they shall
keep my instruction.
17 “ ‘ “It
will be that
when they enter
in at the
gates of the
inner court, they
shall be clothed
with linen garments.
No wool shall
come on them
while they
minister in the
gates of the
inner court, and
within.
18 They
shall have linen
turbans on their
heads, and shall
have linen trousers
on their waists.
They shall
not clothe themselves
with anything
that makes them
sweat.
19 When
they go out
into the outer
court, even into
the outer court
to the people,
they shall put
off their garments
in which they
minister and lay
them in the
holy rooms. They
shall put on other
garments, that they
not sanctify the
people with
their garments.
20 “ ‘ “They
shall not shave
their heads,
or allow their
locks to grow
long. They shall
only cut off
the hair of
their heads.
21 None
of the priests
shall drink
wine when they enter into
the inner court.
22 They
shall not take
for their wives
a widow, or her
who is put
away; but they
shall take virgins
of the offspring
of the house
of Israel, or
a widow who is
the widow of a
priest.
23 They
shall teach my
people the difference
between the holy
and the common,
and cause them
to discern between
the unclean and
the clean.
24 “ ‘ “In
a controversy they
shall stand to
judge. They shall
judge it according
to my ordinances.
They shall keep
my laws and
my statutes in
all my appointed
feasts. They shall
make my Sabbaths
holy.
25 “ ‘ “They
shall go in
to no dead person
to defile themselves;
but for father,
or for mother, or
for son, or
for daughter,
for brother, or
for sister who has
had no husband,
they may
defile themselves.
26 After
he is cleansed,
they shall reckon
to him seven
days.
27 In
the day that
he goes into the
sanctuary, into the
inner court, to
minister in the
sanctuary, he
shall offer his
sin offering,”
says the Lord
GOD.
28 “ ‘They
shall have an
inheritance: I am
their inheritance;
and you shall
give them no
possession in
Israel. I am
their possession.
29 They
shall eat the meal
offering, and the
sin offering, and
the trespass offering;
and every devoted
thing in Israel
shall be theirs.
30 The
first of all
the first fruits
of every thing,
and every offering
of everything, of
all your offerings,
shall be for
the priest. You
shall also give to
the priests the
first of your
dough, to cause
a blessing to
rest on your
house.
31 The
priests shall
not eat of
anything that dies
of itself or
is torn, whether
it is bird
or animal.