Ezekiel 44 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Gate of the Prince

1 Then He brought ^H7725 me back ^H7725 by the way ^H1870 of the outer ^H2435 gate ^H8179 of the sanctuary ^H4720, which faces ^H6437 the east ^H6921; and it was shut ^H5462.

2 Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to me, “This ^H2088 gate ^H8179 shall be shut ^H5462; it shall not be opened ^H6605, and no ^H3808 one ^H376 shall enter ^H935 by it, for Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, has entered ^H935 by it; therefore it shall be shut ^H5462. 3 As for the prince ^H5387, he shall sit ^H3427 in it as prince ^H5387 to eat ^H398 bread ^H3899 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068; he shall enter ^H935 by way ^H1870 of the porch ^H197 of the gate ^H8179 and shall go ^H3318 out ^H3318 [fn]by the same way ^H1870.”

4 Then He brought ^H935 me by way ^H1870 of the north ^H6828 gate ^H8179 to the front ^H6440 of the house ^H1004; and I looked ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, the glory ^H3519 of Yahweh ^H3068 filled ^H4390 the house ^H1004 of Yahweh ^H3068, and I fell ^H5307 on my face ^H6440. 5 Then Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to me, “Son ^H1121 of man ^H120, set ^H7760 your heart ^H3820 on and see ^H7200 with your eyes ^H5869 and hear ^H8085 with your ears ^H241 all ^H3605 that I say ^H1696 to you concerning all ^H3605 the statutes ^H2708 of the house ^H1004 of Yahweh ^H3068 and concerning all ^H3605 its laws ^H8451; and set ^H7760 your heart ^H3820 on the entrance ^H3996 of the house ^H1004, with all ^H3605 exits ^H4161 of the sanctuary ^H4720. 6 And you shall say ^H559 to the [fn]rebellious ^H4805 ones ^H4805, to the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068, “Enough ^H7227 of all ^H3605 your abominations ^H8441, O house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478, 7 when you brought ^H935 in ^H935 foreigners ^H1121 H5236, uncircumcised ^H6189 in heart ^H3820 and uncircumcised ^H6189 in flesh ^H1320, to be in My sanctuary ^H4720 to profane ^H2490 it, even My house ^H1004, when you brought ^H7126 near ^H7126 My food ^H3899, the fat ^H2459 and the blood ^H1818. So they made ^H6565 My covenant ^H1285 void ^H6565—this in ^H413 addition ^H413 to ^H413 all ^H3605 your abominations ^H8441. 8 And you have not kept ^H8104 the responsibility ^H4931 of My holy ^H6944 things ^H6944 yourselves, but you have set ^H7760 foreigners as keepers ^H8104 of the responsibility ^H4931 given by Me for My sanctuary ^H4720.”

9 ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068, “No ^H3605 H3808 foreigner ^H1121 H5236, uncircumcised ^H6189 in heart ^H3820 and uncircumcised ^H6189 in flesh ^H1320, of all ^H3605 the foreigners ^H1121 H5236 who ^H834 are among ^H8432 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, shall enter ^H935 My sanctuary ^H4720. 10 But the Levites ^H3881 who ^H834 went ^H7368 far ^H7368 from Me when Israel ^H3478 went ^H8582 astray ^H8582, who ^H834 went ^H8582 astray ^H8582 from Me after ^H310 their idols ^H1544, shall bear ^H5375 the punishment ^H5771 for ^H5771 their ^H5771 iniquity ^H5771. 11 Yet they shall be ministers ^H8334 in My sanctuary ^H4720, having oversight ^H6486 at the gates ^H8179 of the house ^H1004 and ministering ^H8334 in the house ^H1004; they shall slaughter ^H7819 the burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 and the sacrifice ^H2077 for the people ^H5971, and they shall stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 them to minister ^H8334 to them. 12 Because ^H3282 H834 they ministered ^H8334 to them before ^H6440 their idols ^H1544 and became ^H1961 a stumbling ^H4383 block ^H4383 of iniquity ^H5771 to the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478, therefore ^H5921 H3651 I have [fn]sworn ^H5375 H3027 against ^H5921 them,” declares ^H5002 Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068, “that they shall bear ^H5375 the punishment for their iniquity ^H5771. 13 And they shall not approach ^H5066 Me to minister ^H3547 as ^H3547 a ^H3547 priest ^H3547 to Me, nor ^H3808 approach ^H5066 any ^H3605 of My holy ^H6944 things ^H6944, to the things ^H6944 that are most ^H6944 holy ^H6944; but they will bear ^H5375 their dishonor ^H3639 and their abominations ^H8441 which ^H834 they have done ^H6213. 14 Yet I will [fn]appoint ^H5414 them as keepers ^H8104 of the responsibility ^H4931 for the house ^H1004, of all ^H3605 its service ^H5656 and of all ^H3605 that shall be done ^H6213 in it.

The Levitical Responsibilities

15 “But the Levitical ^H3881 priests ^H3548, the sons ^H1121 of Zadok ^H6659, who ^H834 kept ^H8104 the responsibility ^H4931 of My sanctuary ^H4720 when the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 went ^H8582 astray ^H8582 from Me, shall come ^H7126 near ^H7126 to Me to minister ^H8334 to Me; and they shall stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 Me to bring ^H7126 near ^H7126 to Me the fat ^H2459 and the blood ^H1818,” declares ^H5002 Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068.

16 “They shall enter ^H935 My sanctuary ^H4720; they shall come ^H7126 near ^H7126 to My table ^H7979 to minister ^H8334 to Me and keep ^H8104 the responsibility ^H4931 given by Me. 17 And it will be that when they enter ^H935 at the gates ^H8179 of the inner ^H6442 court ^H2691, they shall be clothed ^H3847 with linen ^H6593 garments ^H899; and wool ^H6785 shall not [fn]be on them while they are ministering ^H8334 in the gates ^H8179 of the inner ^H6442 court ^H2691 and in the house ^H1004. 18 Linen ^H6593 headdresses ^H6287 shall be on their heads ^H7218, and linen ^H6593 undergarments ^H4370 shall be on their loins ^H4975; they shall not gird ^H2296 themselves with anything which makes them sweat ^H3154. 19 And when they go ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the outer ^H2435 court ^H2691, into the outer ^H2435 court ^H2691 to the people ^H5971, they shall put ^H6584 off ^H6584 their garments ^H899 in which ^H834 they have been ministering ^H8334 and lay ^H5117 them in the holy ^H6944 chambers ^H3957; then they shall put ^H3847 on ^H3847 other ^H312 garments ^H899 so that they will not transmit ^H6942 holiness ^H6942 to the people ^H5971 with their garments ^H899. 20 Also they shall not shave ^H1548 their heads ^H7218, yet they shall not let ^H7971 their locks ^H6545 [fn]grow ^H7971 long ^H7971; they shall only ^H3697 trim ^H3697 the hair of their heads ^H7218. 21 Nor ^H3808 shall any ^H3605 of the priests ^H3548 drink ^H8354 wine ^H3196 when they enter ^H935 the inner ^H6442 court ^H2691. 22 And they shall not [fn]take ^H3947 a widow ^H490 or a divorced ^H1644 woman as a wife but shall take ^H3947 virgins ^H1330 from the seed ^H2233 of the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478 or a widow ^H490 who ^H834 is the widow ^H490 of a priest ^H3548. 23 Moreover, they shall instruct ^H3384 My people ^H5971 about the difference between ^H996 the holy ^H6944 and the profane ^H2455, and make them know ^H3045 the difference between ^H996 the unclean ^H2931 and the clean ^H2889. 24 And in a dispute ^H7379, they shall take ^H5975 their stand ^H5975 to judge ^H8199; they shall judge ^H8199 it according to My judgments ^H4941. They shall also keep ^H8104 My laws ^H8451 and My statutes ^H2708 in all ^H3605 My appointed ^H4150 times ^H4150 and keep ^H6942 My sabbaths ^H7676 holy ^H6942. 25 But [fn]they shall not go ^H935 to a dead ^H4191 person ^H120 to make ^H2930 themselves unclean ^H2930; however ^H3588 H518, for father ^H1, for mother ^H517, for son ^H1121, for daughter ^H1323, for brother ^H251, or for a sister ^H269 who ^H834 has not had ^H1961 a husband ^H376, they may make ^H2930 themselves unclean ^H2930. 26 And after ^H310 he is cleansed ^H2893, seven ^H7651 days ^H3117 shall be counted ^H5608 for him. 27 And on the day ^H3117 that he goes ^H935 into the sanctuary ^H6944, into the inner ^H6442 court ^H2691 to minister ^H8334 in the sanctuary ^H6944, he shall bring ^H7126 near ^H7126 his sin ^H2403 offering ^H2403,” declares ^H5002 Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068.

28 “And it shall be with regard to an inheritance ^H5159 for them, that I am their inheritance ^H5159; and you shall give ^H5414 them no ^H3808 possession ^H272 in Israel ^H3478—I am their possession ^H272. 29 They shall eat ^H398 the grain offering ^H4503, the sin ^H2403 offering ^H2403, and the guilt ^H817 offering ^H817; and every ^H3605 [fn]devoted ^H2764 thing ^H2764 in Israel ^H3478 shall be theirs ^H4480 H1992. 30 And the first ^H7225 of all ^H3605 the first ^H1061 fruits ^H1061 of every ^H3605 kind and every ^H3605 [fn]contribution ^H8641 of every ^H3605 kind, from all ^H3605 your [fn]contributions ^H8641, shall be for the priests ^H3548; you shall also give ^H5414 to the priest ^H3548 the first ^H7225 of your [fn]dough ^H6182 to cause a blessing ^H1293 to rest ^H5117 on your house ^H1004. 31 The priests ^H3548 shall not eat ^H398 any ^H3605 bird ^H5775 or beast ^H929 that has died ^H5038 of itself or has been torn ^H2966 to ^H2966 pieces ^H2966.