Mfumu, Alevi ndi Ansembe
1Munthu uja anabwerera nane ku chipata chakunja kwa malo opatulika, chomwe chimayangʼana kummawa. Chipatacho chinali chotseka. 2Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Chipata ichi chikhale chotseka, chisatsekulidwe. Wina asalowerepo chifukwa Yehova, Mulungu wa Israeli walowera pomwepa. 3Kalonga yekha angathe kukhala mʼmenemo ndi kumadya chakudya pamaso pa Yehova. Iye adzalowere pa njira ya ku khonde lamʼkati ndi kutulukiranso njira yomweyo.”
4Kenaka munthuyo anandidzeretsa pa chipata chakumpoto ndipo tinafika kumaso kwa Nyumba ya Mulungu. Nditapenyetsetsa ndinangoona ulemerero wa Yehova utadzaza mʼNyumba ya Mulungu, ndipo ndinadzigwetsa pansi chafufumimba.
5Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Iwe mwana wa munthu, samala bwino ndipo uyangʼanitsitse ndi kumvetsa bwino zonse zimene ndikuwuze zokhudza malamulo ndi malangizo a Nyumbayi. Usamalitse za amene angalowe ndi kutuluka mʼNyumbayi. 6Uwuze mtundu wopanduka wa Israeli kuti Ine Ambuye Yehova ndikuti: Inu Aisraeli, andikwana machitidwe anu onyansawo! 7Munalowetsa alendo osachita mdulidwe mu mtima ndi mʼthupi momwe mʼNyumba yanga ndipotu anayipitsa Nyumba yanga. Pamene inu munkandipatsa chakudya changa ndi magazi omwe kuwonjezera pa zonyansa zanu zonse ndiye kuti munaphwanya pangano langa. 8Mʼmalo moti muzisamalira zinthu zanga zopatulika, mwayika alendo kuti aziyangʼanira malo anga opatulika. 9Ambuye Wamphamvuzonse akuti: Palibe mlendo wosachita mdulidwe mu mtima ndi mʼthupi ngakhalenso mlendo amene amakhala pakati pa Aisraeli amene adzalowe mʼmalo anga opatulika.
10“Ndiponso Alevi amene anandisiya kutali pa nthawi imene Israeli anasochera potsata mafano, adzalangidwa chifukwa cha tchimo lawo. 11Adzangokhala atumiki chabe mʼmalo anga opatulika. Azidzayangʼanira zipata za Nyumba ya Mulungu ndi kugwira ntchito kumeneko. Azidzapha nyama za nsembe zopsereza ndi za nsembe zina za anthu. Choncho azidzayimirira pamaso pa anthu nʼkumawatumikira. 12Iwowa ankatumikira anthu popembedza mafano awo, ndipo anachititsa Aisraeli kugwa mu uchimo. Nʼchifukwa chake Ine ndikulumbira kuti iwowa ayenera kulangidwa chifukwa cha machimo awo. Ndikutero Ine Ambuye Yehova. 13Iwo sayenera kufika pafupi ndi Ine ndi kunditumikira ngati ansembe, kapena kuyandikira chilichonse cha zinthu zanga zopatulika, kapenanso zopereka zanga zopatulika kwambiri. Iwo adzachititsidwa manyazi chifukwa cha machitidwe awo onyansa. 14Komabe ndidzawayika kuti aziyangʼanira Nyumba yanga ndi kutumikira pa ntchito zake zonse zoyenera kuti zigwiridwe mʼmenemo.
15“Koma ansembe, a fuko la Levi, a banja la Zadoki amene ankatumikira mokhulupirika ku malo anga opatulika pa nthawi imene Aisraeli anasochera ndi kundisiya Ine; iwowa adzasendera kwa Ine kudzanditumikira. Adzafika pamaso panga kuti apereke nsembe za mafuta ndi magazi. Ndikutero Ine Ambuye Yehova. 16Okhawa ndiwo adzalowe ku malo anga opatulika ndi kudzayandikira tebulo langa kuti adzanditumikire. Amenewa okha ndiwo adzasamalire zinthu zanga.
17“Pamene alowa ku zipata za bwalo lamʼkati azivala zovala zabafuta. Asamavale chovala china chilichonse cha ubweya wankhosa pamene akutumikira pa zipata za bwalo la mʼkati kapena kunja kwa Nyumba ya Mulungu. 18Azivala nduwira za bafuta ndi kabudula wabafuta mʼkati. Asavale chilichonse chowachititsa thukuta. 19Pamene atuluka ndi kupita ku bwalo lakunja kumene kuli anthu, azivula zovala zimene amatumikira nazo, ndipo azisiye zovalazo mu zipinda zopatulika. Pambuyo pake avale zovala zina, kuopa kuti angapatsireko kuyera anthu enawo ndi zovala zawozo.
20“ ‘Ansembe asamamete mpala kapena kusunga tsitsi lalitali kwambiri, koma azingoliyepula. 21Wansembe asamwe vinyo pamene ali pafupi kulowa mʼbwalo la mʼkati. 22Iwo asakwatire akazi amasiye kapena osudzulidwa; koma azikwatira anamwali osadziwa mwamuna a fuko la Israeli kapena akazi amasiye a ansembe anzawo. 23Ansembe aziphunzitsa anthu anga kusiyanitsa pakati pa zinthu zopatulika ndi zinthu wamba, ndiponso pakati pa zinthu zoyenera ndi zosayenera kuperekedwa nsembe.
24“ ‘Pakakhala milandu, ansembe azikhala oweruza ndipo agamule milanduyo potsata malamulo anga. Atsate malamulo anga ndi malangizo anga pa za masiku anga onse a chikondwerero. Asamalirenso kuti masiku anga a Sabata akhale oyera.
25“ ‘Wansembe asadziyipitse pokhudza munthu wakufa, pokhapokha ngati wakufayo ndi abambo ake kapena amayi ake, mwana wake wamwamuna kapena wamkazi, mʼbale wake kapena mlongo wake wosakwatiwa. 26Atatha kuyeretsedwa adikirebe masiku asanu ndi awiri kuti ayere ndithu. 27Pa tsiku lomwe akukalowa mʼbwalo la mʼkati la malo opatulika kuti akatumikire, apereke nsembe yopepesera machimo. Ndikutero Ine Ambuye Yehova.
28“ ‘Ansembe asadzakhale ndi cholowa chilichonse ayi. Cholowa chawo ndi Ine. Musadzawapatse chuma mu Israeli; Ine ndidzakhala chuma chawo. 29Iwo azidzadya nsembe ya chakudya, nsembe yopereka chifukwa cha tchimo ndi nsembe yopepesera machimo. Zinthu zonse zoperekedwa kwa Yehova mu Israeli zidzakhala zawo. 30Zabwino za zipatso zanu zoyambirira kucha ndiponso mphatso zanu zonse zapadera zidzakhala za ansembe. Inu muziwapatsa chigawo choyamba cha ufa wanu kuti pa nyumba panu pakhale madalitso. 31Ansembe sayenera kudya kalikonse kofa kokha, kaya mbalame, kapena nyama. Kapena yochita kujiwa.’ ”
The Priesthood Restored
1Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. 2The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. 3The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”
4Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple of the Lord, and I fell facedown.
5The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the Lord. Give attention to the entrance to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary. 6Say to rebellious Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! 7In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. 8Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. 9This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.
10“ ‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin. 11They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. 12But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord. 13They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices. 14And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.
15“ ‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and serve me as guards.
17“ ‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. 19When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments.
20“ ‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. 21No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests. 23They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.
24“ ‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.
25“ ‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself. 26After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days. 27On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29 for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.
28“ ‘I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord. to the Lord will belong to them. 30The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. 31The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals.
