1And He brought me back to the outer gate of the set-apart place which faces east, and it was shut.

2And יהוה said to me, “This gate is shut, it is not opened, and no one enters it, because יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has entered by it, and it shall be shut.

3“The prince, as prince, he sits in it to eat bread before יהוה, coming in by way of the porch of the gate, and going out the same way.”

4And He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the House. And I looked and saw the esteem of יהוה filled the House of יהוה, and I fell on my face.

5And יהוה said to me, “Son of man, set your heart and see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the laws of the House of יהוה and all its Torot. And you shall set your heart to the entrance of the house, with all the exits of the set-apart place,

6and shall say to the rebellious, to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “O house of Yisra’ĕl, enough of all these abominations of yours,

7that you brought in sons of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My set-apart place to profane it, My house! That you brought near My food, the fat and the blood, and you broke My covenant because of all your abominations.

8“And you did not guard the charge of that which is set-apart to Me, but you have set others to guard the charge of My set-apart place for you.”

9‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “No son of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, comes into My set-apart place, even any son of a foreigner who is among the children of Yisra’ĕl.

10“And the Lĕwites who went far from Me, when Yisra’ĕl went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their crookedness.

11“And they were attendants in My set-apart place, as gatekeepers of the house and attendants of the house, slaughtering the burnt offering and the offering for the people, and standing before them to attend to them.

12“Because they attended to them before their idols and became a stumbling-block of crookedness to the house of Yisra’ĕl, therefore I have lifted My hand in an oath against them,” declares the Master יהוה, “that they shall bear their crookedness,

13and not come near Me to serve as My priest, nor come near any of that which is set-apart to Me, nor into the Most Set-apart Place. And they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have done.

14“Yet I shall make them those who guard the duty of the House, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

15“But the priests, the Lĕwites, the sons of Tsaḏoq, who guarded the duty of My set-apart place when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray from Me, they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, and shall stand before Me to bring to Me the fat and the blood,” declares the Master יהוה.

16“They shall enter My set-apart place, and they shall draw near to My table to serve Me, and they shall guard My charge.

17“And it shall be, when they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, that they put on linen garments, and no wool shall come upon them while they attend within the gates of the inner courtyard or within the house.

18“They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies, they shall not gird themselves with sweat.

19“And when they go out to the outer courtyard, to the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have attended, and shall leave them in the set-apart rooms, and shall put on other garments. And they shall set apart the people in their set-apart garments.

20“And their heads they shall not shave, nor shall they let their hair grow long – they shall keep their hair well trimmed.

21“And no priest is to drink wine when he comes into the inner court.

22“And they do not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take maidens of the seed of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or widows of priests.

23“And they are to teach My people the difference between the set-apart and the profane, and make them know what is unclean and clean.

24“And they are to stand as judges in a dispute, and judge it according to My right-rulings. And they are to guard My Torot and My laws in all My appointed festivals, and set apart My Sabbaths.

25“And they are not to defile themselves by coming near a dead man. Only for a father or mother, for a son or daughter, for a brother or unmarried sister they defile themselves.

26“And after his cleansing, they count seven days for him,

27and on the day that he comes into the inner court of the set-apart place to attend in the set-apart place, he brings his sin offering,” declares the Master יהוה.

28“And it shall be to them for an inheritance, I am their inheritance. And you give them no possession in Yisra’ĕl – I am their possession.

29“The grain offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering they are to eat, and all that is dedicated in Yisra’ĕl is theirs.

30“And the first of all the first-fruits of all, and every contribution of all, of all your contributions, belong to the priests. And the first of your ground meal you give to the priest, so that a blessing rests on your house.

31“The priests are not to eat any bird or beast found dead or torn to pieces.