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Ezekiel 44:15-31
Revised Standard Version
Ezekiel 44:15-31
Revised Standard Version
The Levitical Priests
15 “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me; and they shall attend on me to offer me the fat and the blood, says the Lord God; 16 they shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments; they shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen turbans upon their heads, and linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, lest they communicate holiness to the people with their garments. 20 They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads. 21 No priest shall drink wine, when he enters the inner court. 22 They shall not marry a widow, or a divorced woman, but only a virgin of the stock of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. 23 They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. 24 In a controversy they shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall keep my sabbaths holy. 25 They shall not defile themselves by going near to a dead person; however, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves. 26 After he is defiled,[a] he shall count for himself seven days, and then he shall be clean.[b] 27 And on the day that he goes into the holy place, into the inner court, to minister in the holy place, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord God.
28 “They shall have no[c] inheritance; I am their inheritance: and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the cereal offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 And the first of all the first fruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests; you shall also give to the priests the first of your coarse meal, that a blessing may rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 44:26 Syr: Heb cleansed
- Ezekiel 44:26 Syr: Heb lacks and then he shall be clean
- Ezekiel 44:28 Vg: Heb as an
Ezekiel 44:15-31
American Standard Version
Ezekiel 44:15-31
American Standard Version
15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord Jehovah: 16 they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 And it shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and [a]within. 18 They shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat. 19 And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments. 20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads. 21 Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. 22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest. 23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to mine ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 25 And they shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. 26 And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. 27 And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering, saith the Lord Jehovah.
28 And they shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and ye shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 And the first of all the first-fruits of every thing, and every [b]oblation of everything, of all your oblations, shall be for the priest: ye shall also give unto the priests the first of your [c]dough, to cause a blessing to rest on thy house. 31 The priests shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 44:17 Or, in the house
- Ezekiel 44:30 Or, heave-offering
- Ezekiel 44:30 Or, coarse meal
Ezekiel 44:15-31
New International Version
Ezekiel 44:15-31
New International Version
15 “‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok(A) 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(B) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.(C) 16 They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table(D) to minister before me and serve me as guards.(E)
17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;(F) they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18 They are to wear linen turbans(G) on their heads and linen undergarments(H) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.(I) 19 When 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(J) through contact with their garments.(K)
20 “‘They must not shave(L) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.(M) 21 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.(N) 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.(O) 23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common(P) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.(Q)
24 “‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges(R) and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals,(S) and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.(T)
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.(U) 26 After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.(V) 27 On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary(W) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering[a](X) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.
28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance(Y) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29 They will eat(Z) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted[b] to the Lord(AA) will belong to them.(AB) 30 The best of all the firstfruits(AC) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal(AD) so that a blessing(AE) may rest on your household.(AF) 31 The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead(AG) or torn by wild animals.(AH)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29
- Ezekiel 44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
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American Standard Version (ASV)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.