Ezekiel 44
1 The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut.
Emva kwalokho umuntu lowo wangibuyisela esangweni langaphandle lendlu engcwele, leli elikhangele empumalanga, njalo lalivaliwe.
2 And the LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut.
UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Isango leli kumele lihlale livaliwe. Akumelanga livulwe; akulamuntu ongangena ngalo. Kumele lihlale livaliwe ngoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ungene ngalo.
3 Only the prince himself may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He must enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”
Inkosana yona ngokwayo yiyo kuphela engahlala phakathi kwesango ukuba idle phambi kukaThixo. Kuzamele ingene ngendlela yengenelo lesango njalo iphume ngayonaleyo indlela.”
4 Then the man brought me to the front of the temple by way of the north gate. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling His temple, and I fell facedown.
Indoda leyo yangisa phambi kwethempeli ngendlela yesango lasenyakatho. Ngakhangela ngabona inkazimulo kaThixo igcwele ethempelini likaThixo, ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso.
5 The LORD said to me: “Son of man, pay attention; look carefully with your eyes and listen closely with your ears to everything I tell you concerning all the statutes and laws of the house of the LORD. Take careful note of the entrance to the temple, along with all the exits of the sanctuary.
UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khangela ngokunanzelela, ulalelisise njalo uqaphele konke engikutshela khona mayelana lemithetho yonke eqondane lethempeli likaThixo. Qaphela intuba lethempeli layo yonke iminyango yokuphuma yendlu engcwele.
6 Tell the rebellious house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I have had enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel.
Tshono kuyo indlu ehlamukayo ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, kaziphele izenzo zakho ezinengayo!
7 In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant.
Phezu kwazo zonke ezinye izenzo zakho ezinengayo ungenise abezizweni abangasokanga enhliziyweni lasenyameni endlini yami engcwele, ungcolisa ithempeli lami lapho unginika ukudla, amafutha legazi, njalo wephula isivumelwano sami.
8 And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’
Ekubeni wenze okumele ukwenze mayelana lezinto zami ezingcwele, wena wabeka abanye ukuba baphathe indlu yami engcwele.
9 This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Akulamuntu wezizweni ongasokanga enhliziyweni lasenyameni ozangena endlini yami engcwele ngitsho labezizweni abahlala phakathi kwama-Israyeli.
10 Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity.
AbaLevi abaya khatshana lami lapho u-Israyeli wayeduhile njalo sebehlanhlathekele ezithombeni zabo besuka kimi, kumele bathwale umvuzo wesono sabo.
11 Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them.
Bangakhonza endlini yami engcwele, bephethe amasango ethempeli njalo bekhonza phakathi kwalo; bangahlabela abantu iminikelo leminikelo yokutshiswa njalo bame phambi kwabantu babasebenzele.
12 Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD.
Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi babasebenzela phambi kwezithombe zabo benza indlu ka-Israyeli yawela esonweni, ngakho sengifunge ngesandla siphakanyisiwe ukuthi kumele bathwale umvuzo wesono sabo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
13 They must not approach Me to serve Me as priests or come near any of My holy things or the most holy things. They will bear the shame of the abominations they have committed.
Akumelanga basondele eduze ukuba bangikhonze njengabaphristi loba basondele eduze kwaloba yiphi yezinto zami ezingcwele loba iminikelo yami engcwele kakhulu; kumele bathwale ihlazo lezenzo zabo ezinengayo.
14 Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it.
Ikanti ngizabenza baphathe imisebenzi yasethempelini kanye lemisebenzi yonke okumele yenziwe phakathi kwalo.
15 But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD.
Kodwa abaphristi, abangabaLevi njalo beyinzalo kaZadokhi abasebenza ngokuthembeka imisebenzi yasendlini yami engcwele lapho ama-Israyeli ayengihlamukele, kumele basondele eduze ukuba bakhonze phambi kwami; kumele bame phambi kwami ukuba banikele umhlatshelo wamafutha legazi, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
16 They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge.
Bona kuphela kumele bangene endlini yami engcwele; bona kuphela kumele basondele phansi kwetafula lami ukuba bakhonze phambi kwami benze umsebenzi wami.
17 When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they must not wear anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple.
Lapho bengena emasangweni eguma langaphakathi kumele bagqoke izigqoko zelineni; akumelanga bagqoke isigqoko sewulu lapho bekhonza emasangweni eguma kumbe phakathi kwethempeli.
18 They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.
Kumele bagqoke amaqhiye elineni emakhanda abo lezigqoko zangaphansi zelineni ezinkalweni zabo. Akumelanga bagqoke into ezabaginqisa.
19 When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
Lapho besiya phandle egumeni langaphandle lapho okulabantu khona, kumele bakhuphe izigqoko ababekhonza bezigqokile njalo kumele bazitshiye ezindlini ezingcwele, bagqoke ezinye izigqoko, ukuze bangangcwelisi abantu ngezembatho zabo.
20 They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
Akumelanga baphuce amakhanda abo kumbe bayekele inwele zabo zikhula zisiba zinde; kodwa kumele bagcine inwele zabo zigundiwe.
21 No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.
Akulamphristi ozanatha iwayini lapho engena iguma langaphakathi.
22 And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest.
Akumelanga bathathe abafelokazi loba abesifazane abehlukana labomkabo; kumele bathathe izintombi ezimsulwa kuphela ezenzalo yako-Israyeli loba abafelokazi babaphristi.
23 They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
Kumele bafundise abantu bami umahluko phakathi kokungcwele lokwabantu bonke babatshengise indlela yokwehlukanisa phakathi kokungcolileyo lokuhlanzekileyo.
24 In any dispute, they shall officiate as judges and judge according to My ordinances. They must keep My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed feasts, and they must keep My Sabbaths holy.
Lapho kulombango abaphristi bazasebenza njengabahluleli baqume mayelana lezimiso zami. Kumele bagcine imithetho yami lezimemezelo zami kuyo yonke imikhosi yami emisiweyo, njalo kumele bagcine amaSabatha ami engcwele.
25 A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so,
Umphristi akumelanga azingcolise ngokuya phansi komuntu ofileyo; kodwa-ke nxa umuntu ofileyo ubenguyise loba unina, indodana yakhe kumbe indodakazi, umfowabo kumbe udadewabo ongendanga, lapho angazingcolisa.
26 and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.
Emva kokuba esehlanjululiwe, uzakuma insuku eziyisikhombisa.
27 And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD.
Ngosuku azakuya ngalo egumeni langaphakathi lendlu engcwele ukuba enze inkonzo endlini engcwele, kumele azinikelele umnikelo wesono, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
28 In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
Mina ngizakuba yilona lifa kuphela abaphristi abalalo. Akukho lifa ozabapha lona ko-Israyeli; mina ngizakuba yilifa labo.
29 They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.
Bazakudla iminikelo yamabele, iminikelo yesono leminikelo yecala; kanye lakho konke okuko-Israyeli okwahlukaniselwe uThixo kuzakuba ngokwabo.
30 The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes.
Okuhle kakhulu kwazo zonke izithelo zakho zakuqala lokwezipho zenu ezikhethiweyo kuzakuba ngokwabaphristi. Kumele libaphe ingxenye yakuqala yempuphu yenu echoliweyo ukuze isibusiso sihlale endlini yenu.
31 The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.
Abaphristi akumelanga badle loba yini, inyoni kumbe inyamazana, etholakale ifile kumbe idlithizwe yizinyamazana zeganga.’”
