Ezekiel 44
The Gate Shall Remain Shut, for the Lord Entered By It
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The Gate That Shall Remain Shut
44:1He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the holy places, which faced east, and it was shut.
44:2The Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, will enter through it. It shall remain shut,
44:3for the ruler—he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He shall enter by the way of the gate’s porch and go out by his way.”
44:4He brought me by the north gate opposite the house. I looked, and behold—the house of the Lord was full of glory. I fall on my face.
Set in Your Heart All That I Say
44:5The Lord said to me, “Son of man, set in your heart, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears everything I speak with you concerning all the commands of the Lord’s house and all its ordinances. Set your heart on the house’s entrance, according to all its exits in all the holy places.
44:6You shall say to the provoking house, to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Let all your lawless deeds be enough for you, house of Israel—
44:7—your bringing in foreign sons, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My holy places. They profaned them while you offered bread, fat, and blood, and you transgressed My covenant in all your lawless deeds.
44:8You arranged for the keeping of duties in My holy places.
No Foreigner Shall Enter My Sanctuary
44:9Therefore thus says the Lord God: No foreign son uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter My holy places, among all the foreign sons who are in the midst of the house of Israel,
44:10except the Levites, who sprang away from Me when Israel strayed from Me after their reflections; they shall receive their injustice—
44:11—and shall serve in My holy places as gatekeepers at the house’s gates and as ministers to the house. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people, and stand before the people to serve them.
44:12Because they ministered to them before their idols, and it became a punishment of injustice for the house of Israel, I raised My hand against them, says the Lord God.
44:13They shall not draw near to Me to serve Me as priests, nor approach the holy things of the sons of Israel, nor My most holy things. They shall receive their dishonor in the straying by which they strayed.
44:14They shall assign them to keep the duties of the house, for all its works and everything they may do.
44:15The Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the duties of My holy places when the house of Israel strayed from Me, shall approach Me to minister to Me. They shall stand before Me to offer sacrifice, fat, and blood to Me, says the Lord God.
44:16They shall enter My holy places and approach My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My duties.
44:17When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall put on linen robes. They shall not wear woolen things when they minister from the gate of the inner court.
44:18They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their hips, and they shall not gird themselves tightly.
44:19When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they shall take off the robes in which they minister, place them in the recessed chambers of the holy places, and put on other robes. They shall certainly not sanctify the people with their robes.
44:20They shall not shave their heads or strip away their hair; they shall certainly cover their heads.
44:21No priest shall drink wine when they enter the inner court.
44:22They shall not take a widow or a dismissed woman as a wife, but a virgin of Israel’s offspring; if a widow is from a priest, they may take her.
44:23They shall teach My people the difference between holy and profane, and make known to them the difference between unclean and clean.
44:24In a case involving blood they shall stand to decide. They shall uphold My judgments and judge My decisions; they shall keep My ordinances and My commands at all My festivals, and sanctify My Sabbaths.
44:25They shall not approach a human body so as to be defiled, except that a priest may be defiled for his father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister who has not belonged to a husband.
44:26After he has been cleansed, one shall count seven days for him.
44:27On whatever day they enter the inner court to minister in the holy place, they shall bring an atonement offering, says the Lord God.
44:28This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. No possession shall be given them among the sons of Israel, because I am their possession.
44:29They shall eat the sacrifices, the offerings for sin, and the offerings for ignorance. Everything set apart in Israel shall belong to them.
44:30The firstfruits of everything, the firstborn of everything, and all the contributions from all your firstfruits shall belong to the priests. You shall give your first produce to the priest, to place your blessings upon your houses.
44:31The priests shall not eat anything that has died of itself or has been taken by a beast, whether from the birds or from the livestock.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.