⁹ “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 sin.^{(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 sin. 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.