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
45“When you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside a section for the Lord as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 8 1/3 miles long and 6 2/3 miles wide. The entire area will be holy.H5307H776H5159H7311H8641H3068H6944H776H753H753H2568H6242H505H7341H6235H505H6944H1366H54392A section of this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet, will be set aside for the Temple. An additional strip of land 87 1/2 feet wide is to be left empty all around it.H6944H2568H3967H2568H3967H7251H5439H2572H520H5439H40543Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 8 1/3 miles long and 3 1/3 miles wide. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be located.H4060H4058H753H2568H6242H505H7341H6235H505H4720H6944H69444This area will be holy, set aside for the priests who minister to the Lord in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple will be located within it.H6944H776H3548H8334H4720H7131H8334H3068H4725H1004H4720H47205The strip of sacred land next to it, also 8 1/3 miles long and 3 1/3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns.H2568H6242H505H753H6235H505H7341H3881H8334H1004H272H6242H39576“Adjacent to the larger sacred area will be a section of land 8 1/3 miles long and 1 2/3 miles wide. This will be set aside for a city where anyone in Israel can live.H5414H272H5892H2568H505H7341H2568H6242H505H753H5980H8641H6944H1004H34787“Two special sections of land will be set apart for the prince. One section will share a border with the east side of the sacred lands and city, and the second section will share a border on the west side. Then the far eastern and western borders of the prince’s lands will line up with the eastern and western boundaries of the tribal areas.H5387H8641H6944H272H5892H6440H8641H6944H6440H272H5892H3220H6285H3220H6924H6285H6921H753H5980H259H2506H3220H1366H6921H13668These sections of land will be the prince’s allotment. Then my princes will no longer oppress and rob my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an allotment to each tribe.H776H272H3478H5387H3238H5971H776H5414H1004H3478H76269“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign Lord.H5002H136H3069H7227H5387H3478H5493H2555H7701H6213H4941H6666H7311H1646H5971H559H136H306910Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid.H6664H3976H6664H374H6664H132411The homer will be your standard unit for measuring volume. The ephah and the bath will each measure one-tenth of a homer.H374H1324H259H8506H1324H5375H4643H2563H374H6224H2563H4971H256312The standard unit for weight will be the silver shekel. One shekel will consist of twenty gerahs, and sixty shekels will be equal to one mina.H8255H6242H1626H6242H8255H2568H6242H8255H2568H6235H8255H448813“You must give this tax to the prince: one bushel of wheat or barley for every 60 you harvest,H8641H7311H8345H374H2563H2406H8341H374H2563H818414one percent of your olive oil,H2706H8081H1324H8081H4643H1324H3734H2563H6235H1324H6235H1324H256315and one sheep or goat for every 200 in your flocks in Israel. These will be the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings that will make atonement for the people who bring them, says the Sovereign Lord.H259H7716H6629H3967H4945H3478H4503H5930H8002H3722H5002H136H306916All the people of Israel must join in bringing these offerings to the prince.H5971H776H8641H5387H347817The prince will be required to provide offerings that are given at the religious festivals, the new moon celebrations, the Sabbath days, and all other similar occasions. He will provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, and peace offerings to purify the people of Israel, making them right with the Lord.H5387H5930H4503H5262H2282H2320H7676H4150H1004H3478H6213H2403H4503H5930H8002H3722H1004H347818“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In early spring, on the first day of each new year, sacrifice a young bull with no defects to purify the Temple.H559H136H3069H7223H259H2320H3947H1121H1241H6499H8549H2398H472019The priest will take blood from this sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, the four corners of the upper ledge of the altar, and the gateposts at the entrance to the inner courtyard.H3548H3947H1818H2403H5414H4201H1004H702H6438H5835H4196H4201H8179H6442H269120Do this also on the seventh day of the new year for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance. In this way, you will purify the Temple.H6213H7651H2320H376H7686H6612H3722H100421“On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the Passover. This festival will last for seven days. The bread you eat during that time must be made without yeast.H7223H702H6240H3117H2320H6453H2282H7620H3117H4682H39822On the day of Passover the prince will provide a young bull as a sin offering for himself and the people of Israel.H3117H5387H6213H5971H776H6499H240323On each of the seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, consisting of seven young bulls and seven rams without defects. A male goat will also be given each day for a sin offering.H7651H3117H2282H6213H5930H3068H7651H6499H7651H352H8549H3117H7651H3117H8163H5795H3117H240324The prince will provide a basket of flour as a grain offering and a gallon of olive oil with each young bull and ram.H6213H4503H374H6499H374H352H1969H8081H37425“During the seven days of the Festival of Shelters, which occurs every year in early autumn, the prince will provide these same sacrifices for the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the grain offering, along with the required olive oil.H7651H2568H6240H3117H2320H6213H2282H7637H3117H2403H5930H4503H8081
Dublin, OH
must bear the consequences of their unfaithfulness.H3881
