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]