YEḤEZQĔL 44

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

2 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to me, “This gate is shut, it is not opened, and no one enters it, because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, coming in by way of the porch of the gate, and going out the same way.”

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

5 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to me, “Son of man, lay 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and all its Torot. And you shall lay your heart to the entrance of the House, with all the exits of the Miqdash,

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

7 that you brought in sons of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My Miqdash 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 qodesh to Me, but you have put others to guard the charge of My Miqdash for you.”

9 ‘Thus said the Aḏon 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “No son of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, comes into My Miqdash, 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 wickedness.

11 “And they were attendants in My Miqdash, 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 wickedness to the house of Yisra’ĕl, therefore I have lifted My hand in an oath against them,” declares the Aḏon 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “that they shall bear their wickedness,

13 and not come near Me to serve as My kohĕn, nor come near any of that which is qodesh to Me, nor into the Most Qodesh 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 kohenim, the Lĕwites, the sons of Tsaḏoq, who guarded the duty of My Miqdash 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 Aḏon 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

16 “They shall enter My Miqdash, 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 qodesh rooms, and shall put on other garments. And they shall qadosh the people in their qodesh 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 kohĕn 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 kohenim.

23 “And they are to teach My people between the qodesh 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 qadosh My Shabbathoth.

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,

27 and on the day that he comes into the inner court of the qodesh place to attend in the qodesh place, he brings his sin offering,” declares the Aḏon 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

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 kohenim. And the first of your ground meal you give to the kohĕn, so that a beraḵah rests on your house.

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