| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1Then the Lord GOD brought me back through the east-facing outer gate of the sanctuary. But it was shut. | 1Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. |
| 2The LORD told me, "This gate is to remain shut. It will not be opened. No man is to enter through it, because the LORD God of Israel entered through it, so it is to remain 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 Regent Prince will be seated there, as Regent Prince, and will dine in the LORD's presence, entering through the portico of the gate and exiting through it also." | 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 he brought me through the north-facing gate to the front of the Temple. As I looked, the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's Temple, and I fell flat on my face! | 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. |
| 5Then the LORD told me, "Son of Man, watch carefully, listen closely, and remember everything I'm going to be telling you about all the statutes pertaining to the LORD's Temple and all of its laws. Pay careful attention to the entrance to the Temple, along with all of the exits to the sanctuary." | 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. |
| 6"You are to tell the Resistance—that is, the house of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I've had enough of all of your loathsome behavior, you house of Israel! | 6Say to rebellious Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! |
| 7You kept on bringing in foreigners, those who were uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to profane my sanctuary by being inside my Temple, and by doing so you've emptied my covenant, all the while offering my food—the fat and the blood—in addition to all of the other loathsome things you've done. | 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. |
| 8Furthermore, you haven't paid attention to the requirements for my holy things. Instead, you placed foreigners in charge of my sanctuary."' | 8Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. |
| 9"This is what the Lord GOD says, 'No foreigner who is both uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the Israelis is to enter 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. |
| 10But the descendants of Levi, who went far away from me when Israel abandoned me, who left me to follow their idols, are to bear the punishment of their iniquity. | 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. |
| 11Nevertheless, they are to serve in my sanctuary, overseeing the gates of the Temple, taking care of the Temple, slaughtering the burnt offerings and the sacrifices presented for the people, standing in the presence of the people, and ministering to them. | 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. |
| 12Because they kept serving them in the presence of their idols, becoming a sin-filled stumbling block to the house of Israel,' declares the Lord GOD. "'I have sworn to them that they are to bear the consequences of their iniquity. | 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 me to serve me as a priest, nor approach any of my holy things, including the most holy things. Instead, they are to bear the shame of the loathsome things that they have done. | 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. |
| 14Nevertheless, I will appoint them to take care of my Temple, including all of its service and everything that is to be done inside of it.'" | 14And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it. |
| 15"The descendants of Zadok, Levitical priests who took care of my sanctuary when the Israelis wandered away from me, are to come near me to minister to me. They are to stand before me to offer the fat and the blood to me," declares the Lord GOD. | 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. |
| 16"They are to enter my sanctuary, approach my table to minister to me, and carry out my requirements. | 16They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and serve me as guards. |
| 17Whenever they enter at the gates of the inner court, they are to be clothed with linen garments. They are not to wear wool when they are ministering within the gates of the inner courtyard or in the Temple. | 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. |
| 18Linen turbans are to be on their heads, and they are to wear linen undergarments. Also, they are not to clothe themselves with anything that makes them perspire. | 18They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. |
| 19"When they enter the outer courtyard, that is, the outer courtyard where the people are, they are to take off their garments in which they were ministering, lay them in the consecrated chambers, and put on different garments so they will not transfer holiness to the people through their garments. | 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. |
| 20Also, they are not to shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. Instead, they are certainly to trim the hair on their heads. | 20"'They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. |
| 21None of the priests are to drink wine after entering the inner courtyard. | 21No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. |
| 22They are not to marry a widow or a divorced woman. Instead, they are to marry virgins from the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest." | 22They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests. |
| 23"They are to teach my people how to discern what is holy in contrast to what is common, showing them how to discern between what is unclean and clean. | 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. |
| 24When disputes arise, they are to serve as a judge, adjudicating matters according to my ordinances. They are to enforce my laws, my statutes, all of my appointed festivals, and they are to sanctify my Sabbaths. | 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. |
| 25They are not to come in contact with a dead body, so they don't defile themselves, except in the case of their father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or for an unmarried sister, on whose behalf they may defile themselves. | 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 from that contact, he is to not to minister for seven days. | 26After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days. |
| 27On the day that he returns to the sanctuary's inner court to minister, he is to offer his own sin offering," declares the Lord GOD. | 27On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering for himself, declares the Sovereign LORD. |
| 28"Now with respect to the priests' inheritances, I am to be their inheritance, and you are to give them no possession in Israel, since I am their possession. | 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 are to eat the grain offerings, sin offering, and guilt offering. Everything consecrated in Israel is to belong to them. | 29They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. |
| 30The first portion of all the first fruits of every kind and every offering of any kind is to be for the priests. You are to give the priest the first portion of your grain. As a result a blessing will rest on your household. | 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. |
| 31However, the priests are not to eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or that has been torn apart." | 31The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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