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Ezekiel 44
International Standard Version

The Vision of the Outer Gates

44 Then the Lord God[a] brought me back through the east-facing outer gate of the sanctuary. But it was shut. 2 The Lord told me, “This gate is to remain shut. It will not be opened. No man is to enter through it, because the Lord God of Israel entered through it, so it is to remain shut. 3 The Regent[b] Prince[c] will be seated there,[d] as Regent Prince, and will dine in the Lord’s presence, entering through the portico of the gate and exiting through it also.”

The Front of the Temple

4 Then he brought me through the north-facing gate to the front of the Temple. As I looked, the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s Temple, and I fell flat on my face! 5 Then the Lord told me, “Son of Man, watch carefully,[e] listen closely,[f] and remember[g] everything I’m going to be telling you about all the statutes pertaining to the Lord’s Temple and all of its laws. Pay careful attention to the entrance to the Temple, along with all of the exits from the sanctuary.”

A Rebuke to the Rebellious

6 “You are to tell the Resistance—that is, the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I’ve had enough of all of your loathsome behavior, you house of Israel! 7 You kept on bringing in foreigners, those who were uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to profane my sanctuary by being inside my Temple, and by doing so you’ve emptied my covenant, all the while offering my food—the fat and the blood—in addition to all of the other loathsome things you’ve done.[h] 8 Furthermore, you haven’t paid attention to the requirements for my holy things. Instead, you placed foreigners in charge of my sanctuary.”’

9 “This is what the Lord God says, ‘No foreigner who is both uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the Israelis is to enter my sanctuary. 10 But the descendants of Levi, who went far away from me when Israel abandoned me, who left me to follow their idols, are to bear the punishment of their iniquity. 11 Nevertheless, they are to serve in my sanctuary, overseeing the gates of the Temple, taking care of the Temple, slaughtering the burnt offerings and the sacrifices presented for the people, standing in the presence of the people, and ministering to them. 12 Because they kept serving them in the presence of their idols, becoming a sin-filled stumbling block to the house of Israel,’ declares the Lord God.

“‘I have sworn to them that they are to bear the consequences of their iniquity. 13 They are not to come near me to serve me as a priest, nor approach any of my holy things, including the most holy things. Instead, they are to bear the shame of the loathsome things that they have done. 14 Nevertheless, I will appoint them to take care of my Temple, including all of its service and everything that is to be done inside of it.’”

Levitical Ordinances

15 “The descendants of Zadok, Levitical priests who took care of my sanctuary when the Israelis wandered away from me, are to come near me to minister to me. They are to stand before me to offer the fat and the blood to me,” declares the Lord God. 16 “They are to enter my sanctuary, approach my table to minister to me, and carry out my requirements. 17 Whenever they enter at the gates of the inner court, they are to be clothed with linen garments. They are not to wear wool when they are ministering within the gates of the inner courtyard or in the Temple. 18 Linen turbans are to be on their heads, and they are to wear linen undergarments. Also, they are not to clothe themselves with anything that makes them perspire.

19 “When they enter the outer courtyard, that is, the outer courtyard where the people are, they are to take off their garments in which they were ministering, lay them in the consecrated chambers, and put on different garments so they will not transfer[i] holiness to the people through their garments. 20 Also, they are not to shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. Instead, they are certainly to trim the hair on[j] their heads. 21 None of the priests are to drink wine after entering the inner courtyard. 22 They are not to marry[k] a widow or a divorced woman. Instead, they are to marry[l] virgins from the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.”

Duties of Ministry

23 “They are to teach my people how to discern[m] what is holy in contrast to what is common, showing them how to discern between what is unclean and clean. 24 When disputes arise, they are to serve as a judge, adjudicating matters according to my ordinances. They are to enforce my laws, my statutes, all of my appointed festivals, and they are to sanctify my Sabbaths. 25 They are not to come in contact with a dead body, so they don’t defile themselves, except in the case of their father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or for an unmarried sister, on whose behalf they may defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed from that contact,[n] he is to not to minister for seven days. 27 On the day that he returns to the sanctuary’s inner court to minister, he is to offer his own sin offering,” declares the Lord God.

Ministerial Inheritances

28 “Now with respect to the priests’[o] inheritances, I am to be their inheritance, and you are to give them no possession in Israel, since I am their possession. 29 They are to eat the grain offerings, sin offering, and guilt offering. Everything consecrated in Israel is to belong to them. 30 The first portion of all the first fruits of every kind and every offering of any kind is to be for the priests. You are to give the priest the first portion of your grain. As a result a blessing will rest on your household. 31 However, the priests are not to eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or that has been torn apart.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:1 Lit. Then he
  2. Ezekiel 44:3 The Heb. lacks Regent; and so through chapter 48
  3. Ezekiel 44:3 I.e. a ruler who will govern with a king’s authority in the name of one holding higher supremacy; and so through chapter 48
  4. Ezekiel 44:3 Lit. will sit in it
  5. Ezekiel 44:5 Lit. watch with your own eyes
  6. Ezekiel 44:5 Lit. listen with your own ears
  7. Ezekiel 44:5 Lit. and put in your heart
  8. Ezekiel 44:7 The Heb. lacks you’ve done
  9. Ezekiel 44:19 Or transmit
  10. Ezekiel 44:20 The Heb. lacks the hair on
  11. Ezekiel 44:22 Lit. take
  12. Ezekiel 44:22 Lit. take
  13. Ezekiel 44:23 The Heb. lacks how to discern
  14. Ezekiel 44:26 The Heb. lacks from that contact
  15. Ezekiel 44:28 Lit. to their
Close LEB

Ezekiel 44
Lexham English Bible

The Prince, the Levites, and the Priests Described

44 And he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that is facing east, and it was shut. 2 And Yahweh said to me, “This gate will be shut. It shall not be opened, and no one[a] will go through it, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has entered it, and it will be shut. 3 The prince, he may sit in it to eat food before[b] Yahweh; he will come from the way[c] of the portico of the gate and by means of its way he will also go out.”

4 Then he brought me by the way of the gate of the north to the front of the temple,[d] and I looked,[e] and look! The glory of Yahweh filled the temple[f] of Yahweh, and I fell on my face. 5 And Yahweh said, “Son of man,[g] set your heart[h] and look with your eyes and with your ears hear everything[i] I am saying to you concerning all the statutes of the temple[j] of Yahweh and concerning all its laws,[k] and you must listen with your heart concerning the entrance of the temple[l] with all of the exits of the sanctuary. 6 And you must say to the rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Enough for you, house of Israel, of[m] all of your detestable things! 7 At[n] your bringing foreigners[o] who are uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh to be in my sanctuary to profane it, my temple,[p] as you offered my food, fat, and blood,[q] so[r] you broke my covenant by all of your detestable things. 8 And you did not observe the responsibility of my sanctuary, but[s] you appointed them[t] as the keepers of my responsibility in my sanctuary for you.”

9 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Every foreigner[u] uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh shall not come into my sanctuary—not any of the foreigners[v] who are in the midst of the Israelites.[w] 10 But[x] the Levites who removed themselves from me at the going astray of Israel,[y] who went astray from me and went after their idols, as a result they will bear their guilt. 11 Then they will be[z] in my sanctuary, those serving in my sanctuary, as sentries[aa] at the gates of the temple[ab] and as those serving the temple;[ac] they will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before them[ad] to serve them, 12 because[ae] they used to serve them before[af] their idols and they were for the house of Israel like a stumbling block of iniquity. Therefore I swore[ag] concerning them,” declares[ah] the Lord Yahweh, “that they will bear their iniquity. 13 And they shall not approach me to serve as a priest for me and to come near to all of[ai] my holy objects, to the most holy objects, [aj] and they will bear their disgrace and the results of their detestable things they have done. 14 And I will appoint them as the keepers of the responsibility of[ak] the temple, for all of its work[al] and everything [am]which will be done in it.

15 But the Levitical priests, the descendants[an] of Zadok, who cared for the responsibility of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray[ao] from me, they will approach me to serve me, and they will stand before me[ap] to offer to me fat and blood,” declares[aq] the Lord Yahweh. 16 “They shall come to my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table to serve me, and they will observe my requirement. 17 And then[ar] when they come[as] to the gates of the inner courtyards, they shall put on their[at] inner linen garments and not wear wool garments when they serve[au] in the gates of the inner courtyard and inside[av] the temple. 18 Linen turbans shall be on their head and linen undergarments shall be on their waists; they shall not gird themselves with material causing perspiration. 19 When they go out to the outer courtyard to the people, they must take off their garment in which they were serving, and they must place them in the holy chambers,[aw] and they must put on other garments, so that they will not make the people holy with their garments. 20 And their head they shall not shave, or long hair they shall not let grow; short they shall clip their heads. 21 And no priest shall drink wine when they come into the inner courtyard. 22 And a widow or divorced woman they shall not take for themselves as wives, but only[ax] a virgin from the offspring of the house of Israel, or the widow who is a widow for a priest they may take.

23 And they will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, and the difference between unclean and clean they must show them. 24 And at a legal dispute they themselves shall stand to judge; employing[ay] my judgments they shall judge it, and with respect to my laws and my statutes. All my festivals they shall keep and my Sabbaths they shall consecrate. 25 And near a dead person[az] he[ba] shall not come to be defiled, but only[bb] for a father and for a mother and for a son and for a daughter, for a brother and for a sister who was not married[bc] may they defile themselves. 26 And, after his[bd] cleansing, they shall count for him seven days, 27 and then on the day of his coming into the sanctuary to the inner courtyard to serve in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering,” declares[be] the Lord Yahweh.

28 And thus it will be to them as regards inheritance, that I am their inheritance, and so you shall not give to them property in Israel; I am their property. 29 The grain offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering, they themselves may eat them, and also all the consecrated possessions[bf] in Israel will be theirs. 30 And also what is first of all of the firstfruits of everything, and of all of the contribution of everything from all of your contributions, to the priest it belongs,[bg] and what is first of your dough you shall give to the priest, so that a blessing may rest on your house. 31 Any dead body or mangled carcass from the birds[bh] or from the animals,[bi] the priests shall not eat.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:2 Literally “and a man not”
  2. Ezekiel 44:3 Literally “to the face of”
  3. Ezekiel 44:3 Or “direction”
  4. Ezekiel 44:4 Or “house”
  5. Ezekiel 44:4 Or “saw”
  6. Ezekiel 44:4 Or “house”
  7. Ezekiel 44:5 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  8. Ezekiel 44:5 Or “pay close attention” or “listen closely”
  9. Ezekiel 44:5 Literally “all of which/what”
  10. Ezekiel 44:5 Or “house”
  11. Ezekiel 44:5 According to the reading tradition (Qere); cf. BHS
  12. Ezekiel 44:5 Or “house”
  13. Ezekiel 44:6 Or “from”
  14. Ezekiel 44:7 Or “in”
  15. Ezekiel 44:7 Literally “children/people of a foreign land”
  16. Ezekiel 44:7 Or “house”
  17. Ezekiel 44:7 Literally “in/at your offering my food and fat and blood”
  18. Ezekiel 44:7 Or “and”
  19. Ezekiel 44:8 Or “and”
  20. Ezekiel 44:8 That is, foreigners
  21. Ezekiel 44:9 Literally “child of a foreign land”
  22. Ezekiel 44:9 Literally “child of a foreign land”
  23. Ezekiel 44:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  24. Ezekiel 44:10 Literally “For if”
  25. Ezekiel 44:10 Or “when Israel went astray”
  26. Ezekiel 44:11 Or “may be”
  27. Ezekiel 44:11 Or “guards”
  28. Ezekiel 44:11 Or “house”
  29. Ezekiel 44:11 Or “house”
  30. Ezekiel 44:11 Literally “to the face of them”
  31. Ezekiel 44:12 Literally “because that”
  32. Ezekiel 44:12 Literally “to the face of”
  33. Ezekiel 44:12 Literally “I raised my hand”
  34. Ezekiel 44:12 Literally “declaration of”
  35. Ezekiel 44:13 Or “any of”
  36. Ezekiel 44:13 Literally “to the holy objects of the holy objects”
  37. Ezekiel 44:14 Or “toward”
  38. Ezekiel 44:14 Or “tasks”
  39. Ezekiel 44:14 Literally “all”
  40. Ezekiel 44:15 Or “sons”
  41. Ezekiel 44:15 Literally “at going astray the children of Israel”
  42. Ezekiel 44:15 Literally “to the face of me”
  43. Ezekiel 44:15 Literally “declaration of”
  44. Ezekiel 44:17 Literally “and it will happen”
  45. Ezekiel 44:17 Literally “at their coming”
  46. Ezekiel 44:17 Hebrew “the”
  47. Ezekiel 44:17 Literally “at their serving”
  48. Ezekiel 44:17 Literally “and toward”
  49. Ezekiel 44:19 Literally “in the chambers of the holiness”
  50. Ezekiel 44:22 Literally “but if”
  51. Ezekiel 44:24 Or “with”
  52. Ezekiel 44:25 Literally “and to a dead person of a man”
  53. Ezekiel 44:25 That is, the priest
  54. Ezekiel 44:25 Literally “but if”
  55. Ezekiel 44:25 Literally “who not she was for a man”
  56. Ezekiel 44:26 That is, the priest
  57. Ezekiel 44:27 Literally “declaration of”
  58. Ezekiel 44:29 Hebrew “possession”
  59. Ezekiel 44:30 Literally “it shall be”
  60. Ezekiel 44:31 Hebrew “bird”
  61. Ezekiel 44:31 Hebrew “animal”
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Ezekiel 43
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