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.
君王，利未人和祭司
1那人又把我帶到聖所外院的東門，門關閉著。 2耶和華對我說：「這門必須關閉，不可打開。人不可從這門進入，因為以色列的上帝耶和華已從這門進入，所以這門必須關閉。 3只有君王可以坐在裡面，在耶和華面前進食。他要從門廊進入，也要從原路出去。」
4他帶我從北門來到殿前，我看見耶和華的榮光充滿了祂的殿，我就俯伏在地。 5耶和華對我說：「人子啊，你要認真看，仔細聽我講有關耶和華聖殿的一切規矩和法則，記住所有的出入口。 6然後告訴那些叛逆的以色列人，主耶和華這樣說，『以色列人啊，你們行可憎的事，該夠了吧！ 7你們獻上食物、脂肪和血的同時，竟將那些身心未受割禮的外族人領進我的聖所，褻瀆我的殿，破壞我的約，使你們罪上加罪。 8你們自己不管理我的聖物，卻把我的聖所給外人治理。
9「『因此，主耶和華說：以色列人中身心未受割禮的外族人不可進入我的聖所。
10「『以色列人走入歧途時，有些利未人也遠離我、追隨偶像，他們必須承擔自己犯罪的後果。 11然而，他們仍可以在我的聖殿供職，看管殿門，為百姓屠宰燔祭牲和其他祭牲，服侍他們。 12因為利未人帶動以色列人拜偶像，使以色列人陷入罪中，所以我起誓，他們必承擔自己犯罪的後果。這是主耶和華說的。 13他們不得走近我，不可做我的祭司，也不得走近我的聖物或至聖之物，他們必因自己的可憎行徑蒙羞。 14然而，我要委派他們管理聖殿，辦理殿中所有的事務。
15「『以色列人走入歧途時，利未祭司——撒督的子孫仍然在我的聖所盡忠職守，因此他們可以接近我、事奉我，侍立在我面前，獻上祭牲的脂肪和血。這是主耶和華說的。 16只有他們可以進入我的聖所，在我的桌前事奉我，遵行我的吩咐。 17他們從內院的門進入殿內供職的時候，要穿細麻布衣服，不可穿羊毛衣服。 18他們要戴細麻布頭巾，穿細麻布褲子，不可穿使人容易出汗的衣服。 19他們出去外院見百姓的時候，必須脫下供職時穿的衣服，放在聖屋，穿上普通的衣服後再出去，免得通過聖衣把聖潔帶到百姓身上。 20他們不可剃光頭，也不可留長頭髮，只可修剪頭髮。 21祭司進入內院時，不可喝酒。 22他們不可娶寡婦或被休的婦女為妻，只能娶以色列的處女或祭司的遺孀。 23他們要教導我的子民辨別聖與俗，潔淨與不潔淨。 24他們要審理訴訟之事，按我的律例斷是非。他們必須按我定的律例和法度遵守一切節期，守安息日為聖日。 25他們不可走近死屍，免得玷污自己，除非死者是自己的父母、子女、弟兄或未出嫁的姊妹。 26祭司得到潔淨後，必須再等七天。 27他進入內院的聖所事奉時，要為自己獻上贖罪祭，這是主耶和華說的。
28「『我是祭司的產業。祭司不可在以色列擁有自己的產業，因為我就是他們的產業。 29他們的食物是以色列人獻上的素祭、贖罪祭和贖過祭。凡以色列人獻給耶和華的都歸他們， 30各種初熟的出產和各種供物中上好的部分都要歸給祭司。你們將初熟的麥子磨成麵給祭司，福氣就必臨到你們的家。 31無論是自然死亡的，還是被其他野獸咬死的禽獸，祭司都不可吃。
