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.”
1 Pēc tam viņš veda mani atpakaļ pie svētnīcas ārējiem vārtiem rītu pusē, bet tie bija aizslēgti. 2 Tad Tas Kungs man sacīja: "Šiem vārtiem jāpaliek aizslēgtiem, tos nebūs atvērt, neviens pa tiem lai neieiet, tāpēc ka Tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs, iegāja pa tiem, tāpēc tiem jāpaliek aizslēgtiem. 3 Tikai pats valdnieks var tur apsēsties un maizi ēst Tā Kunga priekšā; pa vārtu priekštelpu tam būs ieiet un pa to pašu ceļu iziet." 4 Tad viņš veda mani pie ziemeļu vārtiem Tempļa priekšpusē. Un, kad es paskatījos, es redzēju: Tā Kunga godība pildīja Templi. Tad es nokritu uz sava vaiga, 5 un Tas Kungs man sacīja: "Cilvēka bērns, ievēro labi un uzklausies uzmanīgi visu, ko Es tev tagad teikšu par visiem Tempļa noteikumiem un likumiem. Ņem vērā ieeju Templī un visas izejas no svētnīcas. 6 Saki Israēla namam, šai pretestības pilnajai ciltij: tā saka Dievs Tas Kungs: lai nu reiz pietiktu jūsu nelietību, Israēla nams! 7 Jūs ļāvāt ienākt svešiniekiem, kas neapgraizīti sirdī un miesās, Manā svētnīcā, un apgānīt Manu Templi, kad jūs Man upurējāt Manu maizi, taukus un asinis un tā lauzāt derību ar Mani bez visām pārējām jūsu nelietībām. 8 Jūs nepildījāt paši savu svēto kalpošanu, bet saucāt citus, šos svešiniekus, savā vietā kalpot Manā svētnīcā. 9 Tādēļ saka Dievs Tas Kungs: nevienam svešiniekam, kas neapgraizīts sirdī un miesās, nebūs ieiet Manā svētnīcā, nevienam svešiniekam no tiem, kas dzīvo Israēla tautas vidū. 10 Toties levītiem, kas atkrituši no Manis, kad Israēls bija nomaldījies un pēc savas atkrišanas no Manis skrēja saviem elkiem pakaļ - tiem jānožēlo savi pārkāpumi. 11 Tiem būs kalpot Manā svētnīcā kā sargiem Tempļa vārtos un namu apkopt; tiem būs kaut dedzināmos un kaujamos upurus priekš tiem ļaudīm, un tiem būs stāvēt viņu priekšā, lai kalpotu viņiem. 12 Tāpēc ka tie viņiem kalpojuši elku priekšā un kļuvuši Israēla namam par iemeslu apgrēcībai, Es pacēlu pret tiem Savu roku zvērestam, saka Dievs Tas Kungs, ka tiem būs izpirkt savu noziegumu. 13 Tiem nav atļauts Man tuvoties kā priesteriem, priesteru pienākumus pildot, un aizskart jebkādus Manus svētumus, bet tiem būs nest savu kaunu un tās nelietības, ko tie darījuši. 14 Es tos iecelšu par kalpiem nama apkopšanai, lai tie veic visu, kas tur nama apkopšanā darāms. 15 Bet levītu priesteriem, Cadoka pēcnācējiem, kas uzticīgi veica kalpošanu Manā svētnīcā, kad israēlieši nomaldījās un atkrita no Manis, tiem ir atļauts Man tuvoties un Man kalpot un stāvēt Manā priekšā, Man pienest upurim taukus un asinis, tā saka Dievs Tas Kungs. 16 Tiem būs iet Manā svētnīcā un nostāties pie Mana galda, lai Man kalpotu un uzturētu Manu kārtību. 17 Bet, kad tie ieies pa iekšējā pagalma vārtiem, tad tiem jāapvelk linu drēbes; nekas vilnains tiem nedrīkst būt mugurā, kad tie kalpo iekšpus iekšējā pagalma vārtiem un Templī. 18 Linu apsējam jābūt uz viņu galvas un linu biksēm ap viņu gurniem, tiem nebūs tērpties tādās drēbēs, kas dzen sviedrus. 19 Bet, kad tie iziet pie tautas ārējā pagalmā, tad tiem jānovelk tās drēbes, kurās tie kalpojuši, un tās jānoliek svētajās telpās un jāapvelk citas drēbes, lai tie nepiešķirtu tautai svētību ar savām drēbēm. 20 Tiem nebūs noskūt savu galvu pliku, nedz arī nēsāt garus matus, bet savas galvas matus nogriezt, kā parasts. 21 Viņu priesteriem nebūs vīnu dzert, kad tiem jāiet iekšējā pagalmā. 22 Tiem nebūs precēt atraitni vai šķirtu sievu, bet tikai jaunavu no Israēla cilts. Bet priestera atstātu atraitni tie drīkst precēt. 23 Tiem būs mācīt Manu tautu atšķirt svētu no nesvēta un rādīt, kāda starpība ir starp nešķīstu un šķīstu. 24 Tiesas lietās tiem būs tiesu turēt; pēc Manām tiesām tiem būs tiesāt un turēt Manus baušļus un likumus visos Manos svētkos un svētīt Manu svēto dienu. 25 Mironi tiem nebūs aizskart, lai netaptu nešķīsts; ir tikai atļauts aizskart mirušu tēvu un māti, dēlu vai meitu, brāli vai neprecētu māsu un kļūt nešķīstam. 26 Un, kad viņš atkal šķīstījies, viņam pie pavadītā laika vēl jāpieliek septiņas dienas. 27 Un tai dienā, kad tam jāiet iekšējā pagalmā, lai pēc tam kalpotu svētnīcā, tam būs nest grēku upuri, tā saka Dievs Tas Kungs. 28 Nekāds mantots īpašums lai viņiem nepieder: Es esmu viņu mantotais īpašums; arī nekādu zemes īpašumu jums nebūs Israēlā viņiem piešķirt: Es esmu viņu īpašums. 29 Viņi ir tie, kam būs apēst ēdamos upurus, grēku un noziegumu upurus, un viss tas, kas atzīstams par kāda izraidāmā īpašumu un kas atrodas Israēlā, piederēs viņiem. 30 Un visu jūsu augļu pirmaji un visi jūsu cilājamie upuri, ko jūs nesat, lai pieder priesteriem; arī no labākajām jūsu smalko miltu šķirnēm kādu daudzumu jums būs dot priesteriem, lai svētība mīt jūsu namos. 31 Kritušu vai saplosītu lopu vai putnu gaļu priesteriem nebūs ēst.
