Ezekiel 44
44Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut.H7725H1870H8179H2435H4720H6437H6921H54622The LORD said to me, "This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it.H559H3068H8179H5462H6605H376H935H3068H430H3478H935H54623The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way."H5387H5387H3427H398H3899H6440H3068H935H1870H197H8179H3318H18704Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown.H935H1870H6828H8179H6440H1004H7200H3519H3068H4390H1004H3068H5307H64405The LORD said to me, "Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations regarding the temple of the LORD. Give attention to the entrance of the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.H3068H559H1121H120H7760H3820H7200H5869H8085H241H1696H2708H1004H3068H8451H7760H3820H3996H1004H4161H47206Say to the rebellious house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel!H559H4805H1004H3478H559H136H3069H1004H3478H7227H84417In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.H935H1121H5236H6189H3820H6189H1320H4720H2490H1004H7126H3899H2459H1818H6565H1285H413H84418Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.H8104H4931H6944H7760H8104H4931H47209This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.H559H136H3069H1121H5236H6189H3820H6189H1320H935H4720H8432H1121H347810"'The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.H3881H7368H3478H8582H8582H310H1544H5375H577111They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.H8334H4720H6486H8179H1004H8334H1004H7819H5930H2077H5971H5975H6440H833412But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the house of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign LORD.H8334H6440H1544H1004H3478H4383H5771H5375H3027H5002H136H3069H5375H577113They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices.H5066H3547H5066H6944H6944H5375H3639H8441H621314Yet I will put them in charge of the duties of the temple and all the work that is to be done in it.H5414H8104H4931H1004H5656H621315"'But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD.H3548H3881H1121H6659H8104H4931H4720H1121H3478H8582H7126H8334H5975H6440H7126H2459H1818H5002H136H306916They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and perform my service.H935H4720H7126H7979H8334H8104H493117"'When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple.H935H8179H6442H2691H3847H6593H899H6785H5927H8334H8179H6442H2691H100418They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.H6593H6287H7218H6593H4370H4975H2296H315419When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that they do not consecrate the people by means of their garments.H3318H2435H2691H2435H2691H5971H6584H899H8334H3240H6944H3957H3847H312H899H6942H5971H89920"'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.H1548H7218H6545H7971H3697H3697H721821No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.H3548H8354H3196H935H6442H269122They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.H3947H802H490H1644H3947H1330H2233H1004H3478H490H354823They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.H3384H5971H6944H2455H3045H2931H288924"'In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed feasts, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.H7379H5975H8199H8199H4941H8104H8451H2708H4150H6942H767625"'A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.H935H4191H120H2930H1H517H1121H1323H251H269H376H293026After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.H310H2893H5608H7651H311727On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering for himself, declares the Sovereign LORD.H3117H935H6944H6442H2691H8334H6944H7126H2403H5002H136H306928"'I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.H5159H5159H5414H272H3478H27229They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.H398H4503H2403H817H2764H347830The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household.H7225H1061H8641H8641H3548H5414H3548H7225H6182H1293H5117H100431The priests must not eat anything, bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals.H3548H398H5038H2966H5775H929
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