| New International Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. | 1Then the man brought me back to the east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple area, but it was closed. |
| 2The 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. | 2And 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. |
| 3The 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." | 3Only 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.” |
| 4Then 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. | 4Then 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. |
| 5The LORD said to me, "Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the LORD. Give attention to the entrance to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary. | 5And 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. |
| 6Say to rebellious Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! | 6And give these rebels, the people of Israel, this message from the Sovereign LORD: O people of Israel, enough of your detestable sins! |
| 7In 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. | 7You 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. |
| 8Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. | 8Instead of safeguarding my sacred rituals, you have hired foreigners to take charge of my sanctuary. |
| 9This 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. | 9“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. |
| 10"'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. | 10And 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. |
| 11They 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. | 11They may still be Temple guards and gatekeepers, and they may slaughter the animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people. |
| 12But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people 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. | 12But 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. |
| 13They 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. | 13They 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. |
| 14And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it. | 14They are to serve as the Temple caretakers, taking charge of the maintenance work and performing general duties. |
| 15"'But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok and who guarded 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. | 15“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. |
| 16They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and serve me as guards. | 16They alone will enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They will fulfill all my requirements. |
| 17"'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. | 17“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. |
| 18They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. | 18They must wear linen turbans and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that would cause them to perspire. |
| 19When 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 the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments. | 19When 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. |
| 20"'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. | 20“They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly. |
| 21No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. | 21The priests must not drink wine before entering the inner courtyard. |
| 22They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests. | 22They 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. |
| 23They 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. | 23They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean. |
| 24"'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 festivals, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy. | 24“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. |
| 25"'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. | 25“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. |
| 26After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days. | 26Even then, he can return to his Temple duties only after being ceremonially cleansed and then waiting for seven days. |
| 27On 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. | 27The 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. |
| 28"'I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. | 28“The priests will not have any property or possession of land, for I alone am their special possession. |
| 29They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. | 29Their 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. |
| 30The 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. | 30The first of the ripe fruits and all the gifts brought to the LORD will go to the priests. The first batch of dough must also be given to the priests so the LORD will bless your homes. |
| 31The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals. | 31The priests may not eat meat from any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that dies after being attacked by another animal. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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