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.
Ɔhene No, Lewifoɔ No, Asɔfoɔ No
1Afei, ɔbarima no sane de me baa kronkronbea no abɔntenpono no a ɛkyerɛ apueeɛ fam no ano, na wɔato mu. 2Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ ɛpono a wɔato mu yi tena hɔ saa ara. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbue. Obiara mmfa hɔ nhyɛne mu. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbue, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn afa hɔ ahyɛne mu. 3Ɔhene no ankasa nko ara na ɔbɛtumi atena abɔntenpono no ano na wadidi wɔ Awurade anim. Ɔno na ɔtumi fa abɔntenpono no ntwonoo mu hyɛne mu, na ɔfa hɔ ara firi adi.”
4Afei, ɔbarima no de me faa atifi fam abɔntenpono no mu de me baa asɔredan no anim. Mehwɛeɛ na mehunuu Awurade animuonyam sɛ ahyɛ Awurade asɔredan no ma, na mebutuu hɔ.
5Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, hwɛ adeɛ yie, tie no yie, na ma wʼani nku biribiara a mɛka akyerɛ wo a ɛfa nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛwɔ Awurade asɔredan no ho nyinaa. Ma wʼani nku asɔredan no ɛpono ne mmeaeɛ a wɔfa firi adi firi kronkronbea hɔ nyinaa. 6Ka kyerɛ Israel efie atuatefoɔ no sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade seɛ: Mo akyiwadeɛ no adɔɔso, Ao Israel efie! 7Mo akyiwadeɛ a aka no nyinaa akyi no, mode ananafoɔ a wɔyɛ akoma mu ne honam fam momonotofoɔ aba me kronkronbea de agu mʼasɔredan ho fi, ɛberɛ a mode aduane, sradeɛ ne mogya brɛɛ me na mosɛee mʼapam. 8Sɛ mobɛyɛ mo adwuma a ɛfa mʼakronkronneɛ ho no, mo maa afoforɔ bɛhwɛɛ me kronkronbea so mmom. 9Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Ɔnanani a ɔyɛ akoma mu ne honam fam momonoto biara nni ɛkwan sɛ ɔhyɛne me kronkronbea hɔ. Ananafoɔ a wɔte Israelfoɔ mu mpo nni ɛkwan saa.
10“ ‘Lewifoɔ a wɔfirii me nkyɛn kɔɔ akyirikyiri ɛberɛ a Israel fom ɛkwan ne wɔn a wɔtwee wɔn ho firii me ho kɔdii wɔn ahoni akyi no, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn bɔne so asodie bɛda wɔn so. 11Wɔbɛtumi asom wɔ me kronkronbea hɔ ɛberɛ a wɔhwɛ asɔredan no apono so na wɔsom wɔ mu; wɔbɛtumi akum ɔhyeɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ na wɔabɔ afɔdeɛ ama nnipa no, na wɔagyina nnipa no anim asom wɔn. 12Nanso, ɛsiane sɛ wɔsomm wɔn wɔ wɔn ahoni no mu na wɔmaa Israel efie kɔɔ bɔne mu enti, mama me nsa so aka ntam sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn bɔne so asodie bɛda wɔn so. Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie 13Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɛn me sɛ wɔrebɛsom me sɛ asɔfoɔ anaasɛ wɔbɛn mʼakronkronneɛ mu biara anaa mʼafɔrebɔdeɛ kronkron; ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn akyiwadeɛ ahodoɔ ho aniwuo ka wɔn. 14Nanso mede asɔredan no mu dwumadie bɛhyɛ wɔn nsa. Wɔbɛyɛ ɛho som biara wɔ mu.
15“ ‘Na mmom asɔfoɔ a wɔyɛ Lewifoɔ ne Sadok asefoɔ a wɔyɛɛ adwuma nokorɛm wɔ me kronkronbea ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ fom ɛkwan no bɛtumi abɛn me na wɔasom wɔ mʼanim; ɛsɛ sɛ wɔgyina mʼanim na wɔbrɛ me sradeɛ ne mogya afɔrebɔdeɛ, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie. 16Wɔn nko ara na wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan sɛ wɔhyɛne me kronkronbea hɔ; wɔn nko ara na wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan sɛ wɔtwi bɛn me ɛpono, bɛsom wɔ mʼanim na wɔyɛ me som nnwuma.
17“ ‘Sɛ wɔwura apono a ɛkɔ mfimfini adihɔ no mu a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ nwera ntadeɛ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ kuntu atadeɛ ɛberɛ a wɔresom wɔ apono a ɛkɔ mfimfini adihɔ hɔ anaasɛ asɔredan no mu. 18Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ nwera abotire na wɔhyehyɛ nwera ntadeɛ wɔ wɔn ase. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyehyɛ biribiara a ɛbɛma wɔate fifire. 19Sɛ wɔkɔ mfikyire adihɔ, faako a nnipa no wɔ no a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyi ntadeɛ a wɔhyɛ de someeɛ no na wɔgya de gu adan kronkron no mu, na wɔhyehyɛ ntadeɛ foforɔ, sɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wɔmmfa wɔn dwumadie ntadeɛ no nnwira nnipa no ho.
20“ ‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ tikwa anaasɛ wɔma wɔn tirinwi fu kuhaa, mmom ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbubu so fɛfɛɛfɛ. 21Ɔsɔfoɔ biara nnnom bobesa ɛberɛ a wahyɛne mfimfini adihɔ hɔ. 22Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔware akunafoɔ anaa mmaa awaregyaefoɔ. Wɔtumi ware mmaabunu a wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ asefoɔ anaa akunafoɔ a na anka wɔn kununom yɛ asɔfoɔ. 23Wɔnkyerɛkyerɛ me nkurɔfoɔ nsonsonoeɛ a ɛda adeɛ a ɛyɛ kronkron ne adeɛ a ɛyɛ kwasafo deɛ ntam, na wɔmma wɔn nhunu deɛ ɛma biribi yɛ adeɛ a ɛho nteɛ anaasɛ ɛho teɛ.
24“ ‘Akasa akasa biara mu no, asɔfoɔ na wɔbɛyɛ atemmufoɔ agyina me mmaransɛm so abu atɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdi me mmara ne mʼahyɛdeɛ a ɛfa mʼafahyɛ ahodoɔ no so, na wɔyɛ me home nna kronkron.
25“ ‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɔfoɔ kɔ funu ho na ɔde gu ne ho fi; gye sɛ funu no yɛ nʼagya, ne maame, ne ba, ne nuabarima anaa ne nuabaa a ɔnwareeɛ; ne saa deɛ a, ɔtumi kɔ ho de gu ne ho fi. 26Na sɛ wɔdwira ne ho a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwɛn nnanson. 27Ɛda a ɔbɛkɔ kronkronbea no mfimfini adihɔ hɔ akɔsom wɔ kronkronbea hɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbɔ bɔne afɔdeɛ ma ne ho, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.
28“ ‘Me nko ara ne agyapadeɛ a asɔfoɔ no wɔ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ moma wɔn kyɛfa biara wɔ Israel. Mɛyɛ wɔn kyɛfa. 29Wɔbɛdi aduane afɔrebɔdeɛ, bɔne afɔrebɔdeɛ, afɔdie afɔrebɔdeɛ, na biribiara a wɔahyira so ama Awurade wɔ Israel no bɛyɛ wɔn dea. 30Mo nnuaba a ɛdi ɛkan no mu deɛ ɛdi mu ne mo akyɛdeɛ sononko no nyinaa bɛyɛ asɔfoɔ no dea. Ɛsɛ sɛ mode mo mmɔre a ɛdi ɛkan no ma wɔn na nhyira atena mo afie mu. 31Ɛnsɛ sɛ asɔfoɔ no we aboa biara a wawu nam, sɛ ɛyɛ anomaa anaa wiram aboa biara.’ ”
