Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked, and the glory of the Lord filled His temple.(A) And I fell facedown.(B) The Lord said to me: “Son of man, pay attention;(C) look with your eyes and listen with your ears to everything I tell you about all the statutes and laws of the Lord’s temple.(D) Take careful note of the entrance of the temple along with all the exits of the sanctuary.

The Levites’ Duties and Privileges

“Say to the rebellious people,(E) the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I have had enough(F) of all your detestable practices, house of Israel. When you brought in foreigners,(G) uncircumcised in both heart and flesh,(H) to occupy My sanctuary, you defiled My temple while you offered My food—the fat and the blood. You[a] broke My covenant by all your detestable practices. You have not kept charge of My holy things(I) but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:7 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads They

Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground.

And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, take careful notice. Use your eyes and ears, and listen to everything I tell you about the regulations concerning the Lord’s Temple. Take careful note of the procedures for using the Temple’s entrances and exits. And give these rebels, the people of Israel, this message from the Sovereign Lord: O people of Israel, enough of your detestable sins! You have brought uncircumcised foreigners into my sanctuary—people who have no heart for God. In this way, you defiled my Temple even as you offered me my food, the fat and blood of sacrifices. In addition to all your other detestable sins, you have broken my covenant. Instead of safeguarding my sacred rituals, you have hired foreigners to take charge of my sanctuary.

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