The Use of the East Gate
1 The man led me to the outer gate at the east side of the Temple area. The gate was closed, 2 and the Lord said to me, “This gate will stay closed and will never be opened. No human being is allowed to use it, because I, the Lord God of Israel, have entered through it. It is to remain closed. 3 The ruling prince, however, may go there to eat a holy meal in my presence. He is to enter and leave the gateway through the entrance room at the inner end.”
Rules for Admission to the Temple
4 Then the man took me through the north gate to the front of the Temple. As I looked, I saw that the Temple of the Lord was filled with the dazzling light of his presence. I threw myself face downward on the ground, 5 and the Lord said to me, “Mortal man, pay attention to everything you see and hear. I am going to tell you the rules and regulations for the Temple. Note carefully which persons are allowed to go in and out of the Temple, and which persons are not allowed.
6 “Tell those rebellious people of Israel that I, the Sovereign Lord, will no longer tolerate the disgusting things that they have been doing. 7 They have profaned my Temple by letting uncircumcised foreigners, people who do not obey me, enter the Temple when the fat and the blood of the sacrifices are being offered to me. So my people have broken my covenant by all the disgusting things they have done. 8 They have not taken charge of the sacred rituals in my Temple, but instead have put foreigners in charge.
9 “I, the Sovereign Lord, declare that no uncircumcised foreigner, no one who disobeys me, will enter my Temple, not even a foreigner who lives among the people of Israel.”
The Levites Are Excluded from the Priesthood
10 The Lord said to me, “I am punishing those Levites who, together with the rest of the people of Israel, deserted me and worshiped idols. 11 They may serve me in the Temple by taking charge of the gates and by performing the work of the Temple. They may kill the animals which the people offer for burnt offerings and for sacrifices, and they are to be on duty to serve the people. 12 But because they conducted the worship of idols for the people of Israel and in this way led the people into sin, I, the Sovereign Lord, solemnly swear that they must be punished. 13 They are not to serve me as priests or to go near anything that is holy to me or to enter the Most Holy Place. This is the punishment for the disgusting things they have done. 14 I am assigning to them the menial work that is to be done in the Temple.”
The Priests
15 The Sovereign Lord said, “Those priests belonging to the tribe of Levi who are descended from Zadok, however, continued to serve me faithfully in the Temple when the rest of the people of Israel turned away from me. So now they are the ones who are to serve me and come into my presence to offer me the fat and the blood of the sacrifices. 16 They alone will enter my Temple, serve at my altar, and conduct the Temple worship. 17 When they enter the gateway to the inner courtyard of the Temple, they are to put on linen clothing. They must not wear anything made of wool when they are on duty in the inner courtyard or in the Temple. 18 So that they won't perspire, they are to wear linen turbans and linen trousers, but no belt. 19 Before they go to the outer courtyard where the people are, they must first take off the clothes they wore on duty in the Temple and leave them in the holy rooms. They are to put on other clothing in order to keep their sacred clothing from harming the people.
20 “Priests must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. They are to keep it a proper length. 21 Priests must not drink any wine before going into the inner courtyard. 22 No priest may marry a divorced woman; he is to marry only an Israelite virgin or the widow of another priest.
23 “The priests are to teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not, and between what is ritually clean and what is not. 24 When a legal dispute arises, the priests are to decide the case according to my laws. They are to keep the religious festivals according to my rules and regulations, and they are to keep the Sabbaths holy.
25 “A priest is not to become ritually unclean by touching a corpse, unless it is one of his parents, one of his children or a brother or an unmarried sister. 26 After he has become clean again, he must wait seven days 27 and then go into the inner courtyard of the Temple and offer a sacrifice for his purification, so that he can serve in the Temple again. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.
28 “The priests have the priesthood as their share of what I have given Israel to be handed down from one generation to another. They are not to hold property in Israel; I am all they need. 29 The grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the repayment offerings will be the priests' food, and they are to receive everything in Israel that is set apart for me. 30 The priests are to have the best of all the first harvest and of everything else that is offered to me. Each time the people bake bread, they are to give the priests the first loaf as an offering, and my blessing will rest on their homes. 31 The priests must not eat any bird or animal that dies a natural death or is killed by another animal.”
Aizslēgtie vārti
1 Tad viņš mani aizveda atpakaļ pie svētvietas ārējiem vārtiem, kas pret austrumiem, – tie bija aizvērti. 2 Tad Kungs man sacīja: “Lai šie vārti paliek aizvērti, un lai neviens tos neatver un neiet pa tiem, jo Kungs, Israēla Dievs, ir ienācis pa tiem! 3 Vienīgi pats valdnieks drīkst tur sēdēt un ēst maizi pie Kunga – lai tas ienāk no vārtu lieveņa un iziet pa to pašu ceļu!”
Nevienam svešiniekam nebūs ienākt
4 Viņš mani aizveda pie Ziemeļu vārtiem tempļa priekšā, un es skatījos, un redzi – Kunga godība piepilda Kunga templi! Tad es kritu uz sava vaiga. 5 Kungs man sacīja: “Cilvēka dēls, ņem vērā, skaties ar acīm, klausies ar ausīm visu, ko es tev teikšu par Kunga tempļa likumiem un priekšrakstiem, par tempļa ieejām un izejām no svētvietas. 6 Saki dumpīgajam Israēla namam: tā saka Kungs Dievs: nu diezgan jūsu preteklību, Israēla nams! 7 Jūs manā svētvietā ievedāt svešiniekus neapgraizītām sirdīm un neapgraizītām miesām, tā apgānīdami manu templi, kad man pienesāt taukus un asinis. Ar savām preteklībām jūs esat lauzuši manu derību. 8 Jūs nesargājāt manu svētvietu, bet likāt manu svētvietu sargāt citiem. 9 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs Dievs: lai manā svētvietā neienāk neviens svešinieks ar neapgraizītu sirdi un miesu – neviens svešinieks, kas mīt pie Israēla dēliem.
Atkritušie levīti nevar kalpot kā priesteri
10 Levīti, kas bija tālu no manis, kad Israēls aizmaldījās pakaļ saviem elkiem, atbildēs par savu vainu. 11 Manā svētvietā tiem jākalpo par tempļa vārtu uzraugiem, tiem jākalpo templī par sadedzināmo un citu upuru kāvējiem – tiem jābūt pie ļaudīm, lai kalpotu tiem. 12 Bet, tādēļ ka tie kalpojuši saviem elkiem un bijuši par klupšanu Israēla namam, es zvēru ar paceltu roku, saka Kungs Dievs, tie atbildēs par savu vainu! 13 Tie netuvosies man kā priesteri, tie netuvosies manām svētlietām, nedz maniem vissvētākajiem upuriem, bet būs apkaunoti preteklību dēļ, ko darījuši! 14 Es tos ieceļu par tempļa sargiem un visu darbu veicējiem, kas tur jādara.
Norādījumi priesteriem
15 Levī priesteri no Cādoka dzimtas, kas palika kalpot manā svētvietā, kad Israēla nams aizmaldījās prom no manis, tie lai man tuvojas un man kalpo, lai tie stāv manā priekšā un upurē man taukus un asinis, saka Kungs Dievs. 16 Viņi lai ieiet manā svētvietā, viņi lai tuvojas manam galdam un kalpo man – viņi būs tie, kas man kalpos. 17 Kad tie ieies pa vārtiem iekšpagalmā un kalpos iekšpagalma vārtos, tiem jāapvelk lina drānas, lai tiem mugurā nav nekas no vilnas. 18 Lai tiem galvā ir lina galvauts un gurni segti lina biksēm, lai tie netērpjas drānās, kas sviedrē. 19 Kad tie iet ārējā pagalmā pie ļaudīm, lai tie noģērbj drānas, kurās kalpojuši, atstāj tās svētajās istabās un saģērbjas citās drānās – lai nesvēta ļaudis savām drānām. 20 Lai tie nenoskuj pliku galvu un lai neaudzē garus matus, bet kārtīgi apgriež. 21 Kad priesteriem jāiet iekšējā pagalmā, lai tie nedzer vīnu. 22 Ne atraitni, ne šķirtu lai tie neņem sev par sievu – tikai no Israēla nama jaunavām, vai priestera atraitni tie var ņemt par sievu. 23 Tiem jāmāca maniem ļaudīm, kā nošķirt svētu no parasta un kā zināt, kas nešķīsts, kas šķīsts. 24 Katrs strīds, kas nonāk tiesā, tiem jāiztiesā pēc maniem spriedumiem, tiem jāsargā mana bauslība un mani likumi un jāsvēta mans sabats. 25 Lai neviens no tiem netuvojas mirušajam, ka neapgānās, – vienīgi, ja mirušais ir paša tēvs, māte, dēls, meita vai neprecēta māsa, tie drīkst apgānīties, 26 bet pēc tam, kad tie šķīstījušies, jāpieskaita vēl septiņas dienas, 27 tad lai iet svētvietā – kalpot iekšpagalmā svētvietā un upurēt grēku upuri, saka Kungs Dievs.
28 Tāds ir viņu mantojums – vienīgais priesteru mantojums esmu es! Jums nav jādod tiem mantojums Israēlā – es esmu viņu mantojums! 29 Lai tie ēd labības dāvanu, grēka upuri un vainas upuri. Visas Dievam veltītās lietas Israēlā piederēs viņiem – 30 no visa pirmie augļi un viss, ko jūs ziedojat, lai pieder priesteriem. Arī jūsu labības pirmie augļi jādod priesteriem, lai rimtums un svētība ir jūsu namā! 31 Priesteri lai neēd ne putnu, ne lopu, kas nosprādzis vai zvēra saplēsts.
