CHAPTER 44
And the LORD
said
to me,
“This
gate
is to remain
shut.
It shall not
be opened,
and no
man
shall enter
through it,
because
the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
has entered
through it.
Therefore it will remain
shut.
Only the prince
himself
may sit
inside the gateway
to eat
in the presence of
the LORD.
He must enter
by way
of the portico
of the gateway
and go out
the same way.”
Then the man brought me
to
the front
of the temple
by way
of the north
gate.
I looked
and saw
the glory
of the LORD
filling
His
temple,
and I fell
facedown.
The LORD
said
to me:
“Son
of man,
pay attention;
look carefully
with your eyes
and listen closely
with your ears
to everything
I
tell
you
concerning all
the statutes
and laws
of the house
of the LORD.
Take careful note
of the entrance
of the temple,
along with all
the exits
of the sanctuary.
Tell
the rebellious
house
of Israel
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘I have had enough
of all
your abominations,
O house
of Israel.
In addition
to all
your other abominations,
you brought in
foreigners,
uncircumcised
in both heart
and flesh,
to occupy
My sanctuary;
you defiled
My temple
when you offered
My food—
the fat
and the blood;
you broke
My covenant.
And you have not
kept
charge
of My holy things,
but have appointed
others to keep
charge
of My sanctuary
for you.’
This is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘No
foreigner
uncircumcised
in heart
and flesh
may enter
My sanctuary—
not even a foreigner
who
lives among
the Israelites.
Surely
the Levites
who
wandered away
from Me
when Israel
went astray,
and who
wandered
away from Me
after
their idols,
will bear the consequences
of their iniquity.
Yet they shall be
ministers
in My sanctuary,
having charge
of
the gates
of the temple
and ministering
there.
They
shall slaughter
the burnt offerings
and other sacrifices
for the people
and stand
before them
to minister to them.
Because
they ministered
before
their idols
and became
a stumbling block
of iniquity
to the house
of Israel,
therefore
I swore with an uplifted
hand
concerning them
that they would bear the consequences
of their iniquity,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
They must not
approach
Me
to serve Me as priests
or come near
any
of My holy things
or the most holy things.
They will bear
the shame
of the abominations
they have committed.
Yet I will appoint
them
to keep
charge
of all
the work
for the temple
and everything
to be done
in it.
But the Levitical
priests,
who are descended
from Zadok
and who
kept
charge
of My sanctuary
when the Israelites
went astray
from Me,
are to approach
Me
to minister before Me.
They will stand
before Me
to offer
Me
fat
and blood,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
They alone
shall enter
My sanctuary
and draw near
to
My table
to minister before Me.
They will keep
My charge.
When they enter
the gates
of the inner
court,
they are to wear
linen
garments;
they must not
wear
anything made of wool
when they minister
at the gates
of the inner
court
or inside the temple.
They are to wear linen
turbans
on
their heads
and linen
undergarments
around
their waists.
They must not
wear
anything that makes them perspire.
When they go out
to
the outer
court,
to
the people,
they are to take off
the garments
in which
they have ministered,
leave
them
in the holy
chambers,
and dress
in other
clothes
so that they do not
transmit holiness
to the people
with their garments.
And they shall not
marry
a widow
or a divorced woman,
but must marry
a virgin
of the descendants
of the house
of Israel,
or a widow
of a priest.
They are to teach
My people
the difference between
the holy
and the common,
and show them how to discern
between
the clean
and the unclean.
In
any dispute,
they
shall officiate
as judges
and judge
according to My ordinances.
They must observe
My laws
and statutes
regarding all
My appointed feasts,
and they must keep My Sabbaths
holy.
A priest must not
defile himself
by going
near
a dead
person.
However,
for a father,
a mother,
a son,
a daughter,
a brother,
or an unmarried
sister,
he may do so,
And on the day
he goes
into
the sanctuary,
into
the inner
court,
to minister
in the sanctuary,
he must present
his sin offering,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
In regard to
their inheritance,
I am
their inheritance.
You are to give
them
no
possession
in Israel,
for I am
their possession.
They
shall eat
the grain offerings,
the sin offerings,
and the guilt offerings.
Everything
in Israel
devoted
to the LORD
will belong to them.
The best
of all
the firstfruits
and of every
contribution
from all
your offerings
will belong to
the priests.
You are to give
your first
batch of dough
to the priest,
so that a blessing
may rest
upon
your homes.