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44  Katahi ahau ka whakahokia e ia na te ara o te kuwaha o waho o te wahi tapu e anga ana ki te rawhiti; na kua oti te tutaki.

Na ka mea a Ihowa ki ahau, Ko tenei kuwaha me tutaki tonu, e kore e whakatuwheratia, e kore ano tetahi tangata e tomo ma konei: no te mea i na konei atu a Ihowa, te Atua o Iharaira; na reira i tutakina ai.

Tena ko te rangatira, me noho ia ki konei, he rangatira, ki te kai taro i te aroaro o Ihowa, ko tona ara ki roto kei te whakamahau o taua kuwaha; ko tona ara ano tena ki waho.

Katahi ahau ka kawea e ia na te ara o te kuwaha ki te raki, ki te aronga o te whare: na, i taku tirohanga atu, nana, kua ki te whare o Ihowa i te kororia o Ihowa, a tapapa ana ahau.

Na ka mea a Ihowa ki ahau, E te tama a te tangata anga mai tou ngakau, titiro hoki ou kanohi, whakarongo ano ou taringa ki nga mea katoa e korero ai ahau ki a koe mo nga tikanga katoa o te whare o Ihowa, mo nga ture katoa ano o reira; ata mahara ano ki te tomokanga atu ki te whare, ki nga putanga katoa hoki i te wahi tapu.

Me ki atu ano e koe ki te hunga whakakeke, ki te whare o Iharaira, Ko te kupu tenei a te Ariki, a Ihowa, Kati ra a koutou mea whakarihariha, e te whare o Iharaira.

Kua kawea mai na hoki e koutou he tautangata, he hunga kihai i kotia te ngakau, kihai i kotia te kikokiko, ki toku wahi tapu noho ai, hei whakapoke mo reira, ara mo toku whare, i te mea e whakaherea ana e koutou taku taro, te ngako, me te toto, a he iho taku kawenata i a ratou, hei apiti ki a koutou mea whakarihariha katoa.

Kihai ano i mau i a koutou te tiaki i aku mea tapu: heoi whakaritea ana e koutou a koutou ake kaitiaki mo aku mea i roto i toku wahi tapu.

Ko te kupu tenei a te Ariki, a Ihowa; Kaua tetahi tautangata kihai i kotia te ngakau, kihai i kotia te kikokiko, e tomo ki toku wahi tapu, o nga tautangata katoa i roto i nga tama a Iharaira.

10 Engari, ko nga Riwaiti i mawehe atu ra i ahau, i te kotititanga ketanga o Iharaira, i a ratou i kotiti atu ai i ahau, i whai ai i a ratou whakapakoko: ka mau ki a ratou to ratou kino.

11 Otiia hei minita ano ratou i roto i toku wahi tapu, hei tiaki i nga kuwaha o te whare, hei minita ki te whare: ma ratou e patu te tahunga tinana me te patunga tapu a te iwi, me tu ano ratou ki to ratou aroaro minita ai ki a ratou.

12 No te mea i minita ratou ki a ratou i te aroaro o a ratou whakapakoko, a meinga ana e ratou te whare o Iharaira kia taka ki te kino; na reira i ara ai toku ringa ki a ratou, e ai ta te Ariki, ta Ihowa; ka mau ki a ratou to ratou kino.

13 E kore ano ratou e whakatata ki ahau, hei tohunga maku, e kore ano e whakatata ki tetahi o aku mea tapu i te wahi tapu rawa: engari, ka mau to ratou whakama ki a ratou, me a ratou mea whakarihariha i mahia e ratou.

14 Otira ka meinga ratou e ahau hei kaitiaki mo nga mea o te whare, mo nga mahi katoa o reira, mo nga mea katoa ano e meatia ki reira.

15 Engari era tohunga, nga Riwaiti, nga tama a Haroko, i tiaki nei i nga mea o toku wahi tapu, i nga tama a Iharaira i kotiti ke atu ra i ahau, ko ratou e whakatata ki ahau ki te minita ki ahau, ka tu ano ratou i toku aroaro hei whakahere i te ngak o, i te toto, ki ahau, e ai ta te Ariki, ta Ihowa:

16 Ko ratou e tomo ki roto ki toku wahi tapu, ko ratou ano e whakatata ki taku tepu hei minita ki ahau, ma ratou ano aku mea e tiaki.

17 A ka tomo ratou ki roto ki nga kuwaha o to roto marae, hei te kakahu rinena he kakahu mo ratou; kaua hoki tetahi mea huruhuru e mau ki a ratou, i a ratou e minita ana i roto i nga kuwaha o to roto marae, i roto ano i te whare.

18 He potae rinena mo o ratou mahunga, he tarautete rinena ano hoki mo o ratou hope; kaua e whitikiria e ratou he mea e heke ai te werawera.

19 Na ka haere atu ratou ki to waho marae, ara ki te marae i waho, ki te iwi, me unu o ratou kakahu i minita ai ratou, ka waiho ki nga ruma tapu, a me kakahu etahi atu kakahu; kei tapu te iwi i o ratou kakahu.

20 Kaua ano ratou e heu i o ratou mahunga, kaua nga makawe e whakatupuria kia roa; ko te kutikuti anake mo o ratou mahunga.

21 Kaua ano tetahi tohunga e inu waina, ina haere ratou ki to roto marae.

22 Kaua ano ratou e tango i te pouaru, i te mea ranei i whakarerea, hei wahine ma ratou; engari, ko ta ratou e tango ai hei nga wahine o nga uri o te whare o Iharaira, hei te pouaru ranei a tetahi tohunga.

23 A me whakaako e ratou toku iwi ki te wehe i te tapu, i te noa; me mea kia mohio ki te poke, ki te ma.

24 I te tautohetohenga hoki me tu ratou hei whakawa; kia rite ano a ratou whakawa ki aku whakawa; me pupuri e ratou aku ture, me aku tikanga i roto i aku hakari whakarite katoa; me whakatapu ano e ratou aku hapati.

25 Kaua ano ratou e tae ki te tupapaku, whakapoke ai i a ratou; e whakapoke ano ia ratou i a ratou ano mo te papa, mo te whaea, mo te tama, mo te tamahine, mo te tuakana, teina ranei, mo te tuahine kahore nei ana tahu.

26 A, ka oti ia te pure, me tatau kia whitu nga ra mona.

27 Na, a te ra e tomo ai ia ki te wahi tapu, ki to roto marae, ki te minita i roto i te wahi tapu, me whakahere e ia tana whakahere hara, e ai ta te Ariki, ta Ihowa.

28 A ka whai kainga tupu ratou; ko ahau hei kainga tupu mo ratou: kaua hoki tetahi kainga e hoatu ki a ratou i roto i a Iharaira: ko ahau hei kainga mo ratou.

29 Ko te whakahere totokore, ko te whakahere hara, ko te whakahere mo te he, hei kai ma ratou; ma ratou ano nga mea katoa i oti rawa mai i roto i a Iharaira.

30 Na, ko te tuatahi o nga matamua katoa o nga mea katoa, me nga whakahere katoa o a koutou tini whakahere katoa, ma nga tohunga; me te tuatahi ano o ta koutou paraoa pokepoke, me hoatu e koutou ki te tohunga, kia tau ai he manaaki ki tou whare.

31 Kaua te tohunga e kai i te mea mate maori, i te mea ranei i haea, ahakoa manu, ahakoa kararehe.

The Priesthood Restored

44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east,(A) and it was shut. The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it.(B) It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence(C) of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.(D)

Then the man brought me by way of the north gate(E) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple(F) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.(G)

The 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(H) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.(I) Say to rebellious Israel,(J) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart(K) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.(L) Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.(M) This 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.(N)

10 “‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray(O) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.(P) 11 They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings(Q) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.(R) 12 But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall(S) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand(T) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.(U) 13 They 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(V) of their detestable practices.(W) 14 And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.(X)

15 “‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok(Y) 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(Z) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AA) 16 They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table(AB) to minister before me and serve me as guards.(AC)

17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;(AD) they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18 They are to wear linen turbans(AE) on their heads and linen undergarments(AF) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.(AG) 19 When 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(AH) through contact with their garments.(AI)

20 “‘They must not shave(AJ) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.(AK) 21 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.(AL) 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.(AM) 23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common(AN) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.(AO)

24 “‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges(AP) and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals,(AQ) and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.(AR)

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.(AS) 26 After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.(AT) 27 On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary(AU) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering[a](AV) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.

28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance(AW) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29 They will eat(AX) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted[b] to the Lord(AY) will belong to them.(AZ) 30 The best of all the firstfruits(BA) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal(BB) so that a blessing(BC) may rest on your household.(BD) 31 The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead(BE) or torn by wild animals.(BF)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29
  2. Ezekiel 44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.