Ezekiel 44 – NIRV & NEN

New International Reader’s Version

Ezekiel 44:1-31

The Priesthood Will Be Established Again

1Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the temple. It was the one that faced east. It was shut. 2The Lord said to me, “This gate must remain shut. It must not be opened. No one can enter through it. It must remain shut because I have entered through it. I am the God of Israel. 3The prince is the only one who can sit in the gateway. There he can eat in front of me. He must enter through the porch of the gateway. And he must go out the same way.”

4Then the man brought me through the north gate. He took me to the front of the temple. I looked up and saw the glory of the Lord. It filled his temple. I fell with my face toward the ground.

5The Lord said to me, “Son of man, pay attention. Look carefully. Listen closely to everything I tell you. I’m telling you about all the rules and instructions concerning my temple. Pay attention to the entrance to the temple and to all its exits. 6Speak to the people of Israel. They refuse to obey me. Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says. “People of Israel, I have had enough of your evil practices. I hate them. 7You brought outsiders into my temple. They were not circumcised. Their hearts were stubborn. You made my temple ‘unclean.’ But you offered me food, fat and blood anyway. When you did all these things, you broke the covenant I made with you. I hated all the evil things you did. 8You did not do what I told you to. You did not take care of my holy things. Instead, you put other people in charge of my temple.” ’ ” 9The Lord and King says, “No outsider whose heart is stubborn can enter my temple. They have not been circumcised. Even if they live among the people of Israel they can’t enter my temple.

10“Some Levites wandered far away from me when Israel went astray. They worshiped the statues of their gods. So they will be punished because they have sinned. 11They might serve in my temple. They might be in charge of its gates. They might kill the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people. And they might stand in front of the people and serve them in other ways. 12But these Levites served the people of Israel. They served while the Israelites were worshiping the statues of their gods. They made the people fall into sin. So I raised my hand and made a promise. I warned them that I would punish them because of their sin,” announces the Lord and King. 13“They must not approach me to serve me as priests. They must not come near any of my holy things. They must stay away from my very holy offerings. They did many things they should have been ashamed of. I hated those things. 14But I will still appoint them to guard the temple. They will guard it for all the work that has to be done there.

15“But the priests must approach me to serve me. They are Levites from Zadok’s family line. They guarded my temple when the people of Israel turned away from me. These priests must serve me by offering sacrifices of fat and blood,” announces the Lord and King. 16“They are the only ones who can enter my temple. Only they can come near to serve me as guards.

17“They will enter the gates of the inner courtyard. When they do, they must wear linen clothes. They will serve at the gates of the inner courtyard or inside the temple. When they do, they must not wear any clothes made out of wool. 18They must have linen turbans on their heads. They must wear linen underwear around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them sweat. 19They will go into the outer courtyard where the people are. When they do, they must take off the clothes they have been serving in. They must leave them in the sacred rooms. And they must put other clothes on. Then the people will not be made holy if they happen to touch the priests’ clothes.

20“The priests must not shave their heads. They must not let their hair grow long. They must keep it cut short. 21No priest may drink wine when he enters the inner courtyard. 22They must not get married to widows or divorced women. They may only marry Israelite virgins or the widows of priests. 23The priests must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not. They must show them how to tell the difference between what is ‘clean’ and what is not.

24“When people do not agree, the priests must serve as judges between them. They must make their decisions based on my laws. They must obey my laws and rules for all my appointed feasts. And they must keep my Sabbath days holy.

25“A priest must not make himself ‘unclean’ by going near a dead person. But suppose the dead person was his father or mother. Or suppose it was his son or daughter or brother or unmarried sister. Then the priest may make himself ‘unclean.’ 26After he is pure and ‘clean’ again, he must wait seven days. 27Then he may go to the inner courtyard to serve in the temple. But when he does, he must sacrifice a sin offering for himself,” announces the Lord and King.

28“The priests will not receive any part of the land of Israel. I myself will be their only share. 29They will eat the grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings. Everything in Israel that is set apart to me in a special way will belong to them. 30The best of every first share of the people’s crops will belong to the priests. So will all their special gifts. The people must give the priests the first share of their ground meal. Then I will bless my people’s families. 31The priests must not eat any bird or animal that is found dead. They must not eat anything that wild animals have torn apart.

Kiswahili Contemporary Version (Neno: Bibilia Takatifu)

Ezekieli 44:1-31

Mkuu, Walawi, Makuhani

144:1 Eze 43:1Ndipo yule mtu akanirudisha mpaka kwenye lango la nje la mahali Patakatifu, lile linaloelekea upande wa mashariki, nalo lilikuwa limefungwa. 244:2 Eze 43:4-5Bwana akaniambia, “Lango hili litabaki limefungwa. Haliruhusiwi kufunguliwa, wala hakuna mtu yeyote anayeruhusiwa kuingilia kwenye lango hili. Litabaki limefungwa kwa sababu Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ameingia kwa kupitia lango hili. 344:3 Zek 6:12; Kut 24:9-11; Eze 46:2-8Yeye aliye mkuu peke yake ndiye anayeweza kukaa penye njia ya hilo lango na kula chakula mbele za Bwana. Itampasa aingie kwa njia hiyo ya lango la ukumbini na kutokea njia iyo hiyo.”

444:4 Isa 6:4; Ufu 15:8; Eze 1:28; Dan 8:17; Eze 40:35; 10:4Kisha yule mtu akanileta kwa njia ya lango la kaskazini mpaka mbele ya Hekalu. Nikatazama nami nikauona utukufu wa Bwana ukilijaza Hekalu la Bwana, nami nikaanguka kifudifudi.

544:5 Eze 40:4; 43:10-11; 42:9Bwana akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, angalia kwa uangalifu, usikilize kwa bidii na uzingatie kila kitu ninachokuambia kuhusu masharti yote yanayohusu Hekalu la Bwana. Uwe mwangalifu kuhusu wale wanaoruhusiwa hekaluni na wale wasioruhusiwa kuingia mahali patakatifu. 644:6 Eze 3:19Iambie nyumba ya kuasi ya Israeli, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Matendo yenu ya machukizo yatosha, ee nyumba ya Israeli! 744:7 Law 26:4; Mwa 17:14; Kut 12:48; Mdo 21:28; Law 22:25Zaidi ya matendo yenu yote ya machukizo, mmewaleta wageni wasiotahiriwa mioyo na miili katika patakatifu pangu, mkilinajisi Hekalu langu, huku mkinitolea chakula, mafuta ya wanyama na damu, nanyi mmevunja Agano langu. 844:8 Law 22:2; Hes 18:7; 2Tim 4:1Badala ya kutimiza wajibu wenu kuhusiana na vitu vyangu vitakatifu, mmeweka watu wengine kuwa viongozi katika patakatifu pangu. 944:9 Yoe 3:17; Zek 14:21Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Hakuna mgeni asiyetahiriwa moyo na mwilini anayeruhusiwa kuingia patakatifu pangu, wala hata wageni wanaoishi miongoni mwa Waisraeli.

1044:10 Neh 9:34; 2Fal 23:8; Za 95:10; Hes 18:23“ ‘Walawi walioniacha wakati Waisraeli walipopotoka wakatoka kwangu na kutangatanga kwa kufuata sanamu zao, watachukua adhabu ya dhambi zao. 1144:11 2Nya 29:34; Hes 16:9; 1Nya 26:12-19; Hes 3:5-37Wanaweza wakatumika katika mahali patakatifu pangu, wakiwa na uangalizi wa malango ya Hekalu, nao watachinja sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu kwa ajili ya watu na kusimama mbele ya watu ili kuwahudumia. 1244:12 2Fal 16:10-16; Yer 14:10; Za 106:26; Yer 18:15Lakini kwa sababu waliwatumikia watu mbele ya sanamu zao na kuifanya nyumba ya Israeli ianguke kwenye dhambi, kwa hiyo nimeapa kwa mkono ulioinuliwa kwamba ni lazima wachukue matokeo ya dhambi yao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi. 1344:13 Eze 16:6; Hes 18:3; Hos 5:1Hawaruhusiwi kukaribia ili kunitumikia kama makuhani wala kukaribia chochote changu kilicho kitakatifu au sadaka iliyo takatifu kupita zote, bali watachukua aibu ya matendo yao ya kuchukiza. 1444:14 1Sam 2:36; 2Fal 23:9; 1Nya 23:28-32Lakini nitawaweka katika uangalizi wa Hekalu na kazi zote zile zinazotakiwa kufanyika ndani yake.

1544:15 Yer 33:18; Zek 3:7; Kum 10:8; 2Sam 8:17; Eze 7:2; Kum 29:13; Eze 40:46“ ‘Lakini makuhani, ambao ni Walawi na wazao wa Sadoki, ambao walitimiza wajibu wao kwa uaminifu katika patakatifu pangu wakati Waisraeli walipopotoka, watakaribia ili kutumika mbele zangu. Itawapasa wasimame mbele zangu ili kutoa dhabihu za mafuta ya wanyama na damu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi. 1644:16 Eze 41:22; 1Sam 2:35; Mal 2:7; Law 3:16-17; Hes 8:15; Law 17:5-6Wao peke yao ndio wenye ruhusa ya kuingia mahali patakatifu pangu. Wao peke yao ndio watakaokaribia meza yangu ili kuhudumu mbele zangu na kufanya utumishi wangu.

1744:17 Kut 39:27-28; Ufu 19:8“ ‘Watakapoingia kwenye malango ya ukumbi wa ndani, watavaa nguo za kitani safi, hawaruhusiwi kamwe kuvaa mavazi ya sufu wakati wanapokuwa wakihudumu kwenye malango ya ukumbi wa ndani wala ndani ya Hekalu. 1844:18 Kut 28:39; Isa 3:20; Law 16:4; Kut 28:42Watavaa vilemba vya kitani safi vichwani mwao na nguo za ndani za kitani safi viunoni mwao. Hawatavaa chochote kitakachowafanya kutoa jasho. 1944:19 Law 6:27; Eze 46:20; Kut 39:27-29; Law 6:10-11Watakapotoka ili kuingia katika ukumbi wa nje mahali watu walipo, watavua nguo walizokuwa wakihudumu nazo na wataziacha katika vyumba vitakatifu nao watavaa nguo nyingine, ili kwamba wasije wakaambukiza watu utakatifu kwa njia ya mavazi yao.

2044:20 Law 21:5; Hes 6:5; Isa 28:7“ ‘Hawatanyoa nywele za vichwa vyao wala kuziacha ziwe ndefu, bali watazipunguza. 2144:21 Law 10:9Kuhani yeyote asinywe mvinyo aingiapo katika ukumbi wa ndani. 2244:22 Law 21:7Wasioe wanawake wajane wala walioachika, inawapasa kuoa wanawake bikira wenye heshima wa Israeli au wajane wa makuhani. 2344:23 Eze 22:26; Hag 2:11-13; Mal 2:7; Mwa 7:2; Law 13:50; Yer 15:19Watawafundisha watu wangu tofauti kati ya vitu vitakatifu na vitu vya kawaida na kuwaonyesha jinsi ya kupambanua kati ya vitu najisi na vitu safi.

2444:24 1Tim 4:5; 1Nya 23:4; 2Nya 19:8; Kum 17:8-9; 19:17“ ‘Katika magombano yoyote, makuhani watatumika kama mahakimu na kuamua hilo jambo kufuatana na sheria zangu. Watazishika sheria zangu na maagizo yangu katika sikukuu zangu zote zilizoamriwa, nao watatakasa Sabato zangu.

2544:25 Law 21:1-4“ ‘Kuhani asijitie unajisi kwa kukaribia maiti, lakini, kama mtu aliyekufa alikuwa baba yake au mama yake, mwana au binti yake, ndugu yake au dada ambaye hajaolewa, basi aweza kujitia unajisi kwa hao. 2644:26 Law 21:1-4; Hes 6:10Baada ya kujitakasa, atakaa hali hiyo kwa muda wa siku saba. 2744:27 Hes 3:28; 6:11; Law 4:28Siku atakapoingia katika ukumbi wa ndani wa mahali patakatifu ili kuhudumu, atatoa sadaka ya dhambi kwa ajili yake mwenyewe, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.

2844:28 Kum 10:9; Yos 13:33; Hes 18:20; Kum 18:1-2“ ‘Mimi nitakuwa ndio urithi pekee walio nao makuhani katika Israeli. Msiwape wao milki, mimi nitakuwa milki yao. 2944:29 Law 27:21; Hes 18:9, 14; Yos 13:14; Law 6:16Wao watakula sadaka za nafaka, sadaka za dhambi na sadaka za hatia na kila kitu kitakachotolewa kwa Bwana katika Israeli kitakuwa chao. 3044:30 Hes 18:12-13; 2Nya 31:5; Hes 15:18-21; Neh 10:35-37; 2Nya 30:10Yote yaliyo bora ya malimbuko ya vitu vyote na matoleo yenu maalum vitakuwa vya makuhani. Inawapasa kuwapa malimbuko ya kwanza ya unga wenu ili kwamba baraka ipate kuwa katika nyumba zenu. 3144:31 Kut 22:31; Law 22:8; 11:39-40Makuhani hawaruhusiwi kula chochote, ikiwa ni ndege au mnyama, aliyekutwa akiwa amekufa au aliyeraruliwa na wanyama pori.