Ezekiel 44:4-9

Contemporary English Version

People Who Are Not Allowed in the Temple

⁴ Then the man took me through the north gate to the front of the temple. I saw that the brightness of the Lord's glory had filled the temple, and I immediately bowed with my face to the ground.

⁵ The Lord said:

Ezekiel, son of man, I am going to give you the laws for my temple. So pay attention and listen carefully to what kind of people are allowed to come in the temple, and what kind are not. ⁶ Tell those rebellious people of Israel:

I, the Lord God, command you to stop your evil ways! ⁷ My temple has been disgraced, because you have let godless, stubborn foreigners come here when sacrifices are being offered to me. You have sinned and have broken our solemn agreement. ⁸ Instead of following the proper ways to worship me, you have put foreigners in charge of worship at my temple.

⁹ And so I, the Lord God, say that no godless foreigner who disobeys me will be allowed in my temple. This includes any foreigner living in Israel.