Ezekiel 44

The Prince, Levites, and Priests

44Then the man brought me back to the east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple area, but it was closed.H7725H1870H8179H2435H4720H6437H6921H54622And the Lord said to me, “This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No one will ever open it and pass through, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered here. Therefore, it must always remain shut.H559H3068H8179H5462H6605H376H935H3068H430H3478H935H54623Only the prince himself may sit inside this gateway to feast in the Lord’s presence. But he may come and go only through the entry room of the gateway.”H5387H5387H3427H398H3899H6440H3068H935H1870H197H8179H3318H18704Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground.H935H1870H6828H8179H6440H1004H7200H3519H3068H4390H1004H3068H5307H64405And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, take careful notice. Use your eyes and ears, and listen to everything I tell you about the regulations concerning the Lord’s Temple. Take careful note of the procedures for using the Temple’s entrances and exits.H3068H559H1121H120H7760H3820H7200H5869H8085H241H1696H2708H1004H3068H8451H7760H3820H3996H1004H4161H47206And give these rebels, the people of Israel, this message from the Sovereign Lord: O people of Israel, enough of your detestable sins!H559H4805H1004H3478H559H136H3069H1004H3478H7227H84417You have brought uncircumcised foreigners into my sanctuary—people who have no heart for God. In this way, you defiled my Temple even as you offered me my food, the fat and blood of sacrifices. In addition to all your other detestable sins, you have broken my covenant.H935H1121H5236H6189H3820H6189H1320H4720H2490H1004H7126H3899H2459H1818H6565H1285H413H84418Instead of safeguarding my sacred rituals, you have hired foreigners to take charge of my sanctuary.H8104H4931H6944H7760H8104H4931H47209“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigners, including those who live among the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if they have not been circumcised and have not surrendered themselves to the Lord.H559H136H3069H1121H5236H6189H3820H6189H1320H935H4720H8432H1121H347810And the men of the tribe of Levi who abandoned me when Israel strayed away from me to worship idols

must bear the consequences of their unfaithfulness.H3881H7368H3478H8582H8582H310H1544H5375H577111They may still be Temple guards and gatekeepers, and they may slaughter the animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people.H8334H4720H6486H8179H1004H8334H1004H7819H5930H2077H5971H5975H6440H833412But they encouraged my people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord.H8334H6440H1544H1004H3478H4383H5771H5375H3027H5002H136H3069H5375H577113They may not approach me to minister as priests. They may not touch any of my holy things or the holy offerings, for they must bear the shame of all the detestable sins they have committed.H5066H3547H5066H6944H6944H5375H3639H8441H621314They are to serve as the Temple caretakers, taking charge of the maintenance work and performing general duties.H5414H8104H4931H1004H5656H621315“However, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok continued to minister faithfully in the Temple when Israel abandoned me for idols. These men will serve as my ministers. They will stand in my presence and offer the fat and blood of the sacrifices, says the Sovereign Lord.H3548H3881H1121H6659H8104H4931H4720H1121H3478H8582H7126H8334H5975H6440H7126H2459H1818H5002H136H306916They alone will enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They will fulfill all my requirements.H935H4720H7126H7979H8334H8104H493117“When they enter the gateway to the inner courtyard, they must wear only linen clothing. They must wear no wool while on duty in the inner courtyard or in the Temple itself.H935H8179H6442H2691H3847H6593H899H6785H5927H8334H8179H6442H2691H100418They must wear linen turbans and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that would cause them to perspire.H6593H6287H7218H6593H4370H4975H2296H315419When they return to the outer courtyard where the people are, they must take off the clothes they wear while ministering to me. They must leave them in the sacred rooms and put on other clothes so they do not endanger anyone by transmitting holiness to them through this clothing.H3318H2435H2691H2435H2691H5971H6584H899H8334H3240H6944H3957H3847H312H899H6942H5971H89920“They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly.H1548H7218H6545H7971H3697H3697H721821The priests must not drink wine before entering the inner courtyard.H3548H8354H3196H935H6442H269122They may choose their wives only from among the virgins of Israel or the widows of the priests. They may not marry other widows or divorced women.H3947H802H490H1644H3947H1330H2233H1004H3478H490H354823They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean.H3384H5971H6944H2455H3045H2931H288924“They will serve as judges to resolve any disagreements among my people. Their decisions must be based on my regulations. And the priests themselves must obey my instructions and decrees at all the sacred festivals, and see to it that the Sabbaths are set apart as holy days.H7379H5975H8199H8199H4941H8104H8451H2708H4150H6942H767625“A priest must not defile himself by being in the presence of a dead person unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In such cases it is permitted.H935H4191H120H2930H1H517H1121H1323H251H269H376H293026Even then, he can return to his Temple duties only after being ceremonially cleansed and then waiting for seven days.H310H2893H5608H7651H311727The first day he returns to work and enters the inner courtyard and the sanctuary, he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the Sovereign Lord.H3117H935H6944H6442H2691H8334H6944H7126H2403H5002H136H306928“The priests will not have any property or possession of land, for I alone am their special possession.H5159H5159H5414H272H3478H27229Their food will come from the gifts and sacrifices brought to the Temple by the people—the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Whatever anyone sets apart

for the Lord will belong to the priests.H398H4503H2403H817H2764H347830The first of the ripe fruits and all the gifts brought to the Lord will go to the priests. The first samples of each grain harvest and the first of your flour must also be given to the priests so the Lord will bless your homes.H7225H1061H8641H8641H3548H5414H3548H7225H6182H1293H5117H100431The priests may not eat meat from any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that dies after being attacked by another animal.H3548H398H5038H2966H5775H929