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The Lord Yahweh says, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel.

10 “‘“But the Levites who went far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they will bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house. They shall kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up my hand against them,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and they will bear their iniquity. 13 They shall not come near to me, to execute the office of priest to me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. 14 Yet I will make them performers of the duty of the house, for all its service, and for all that will be done therein.

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“This is what the Lord God says: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, may enter my sanctuary, not even a foreigner who is among the Israelites. 10 Surely the Levites who wandered away from me when Israel went astray, and who strayed from me after their idols,(A) will bear the consequences of their iniquity.(B) 11 Yet they will occupy my sanctuary, serving as guards at the temple gates(C) and ministering at the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings(D) and other sacrifices for the people and will stand before them to serve them.(E) 12 Because they ministered to the house of Israel before their idols and became a sinful stumbling block to them, therefore I swore an oath[a] against them”(F)—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity. 13 They must not approach me to serve me as priests(G) or come near any of my holy things or the most holy things. They will bear their disgrace and the consequences of the detestable acts they committed. 14 Yet I will make them responsible for the duties of the temple(H)—for all its work and everything done in it.

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Footnotes

  1. 44:12 Lit I lifted my hand