Hezekiel 44
1 Azɔ la, ŋutsu la gbugbɔm va kɔkɔeƒe la ƒe agbo si dze ŋgɔ ɣedzeƒe la gbɔ. Wotui.
The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut.
2 Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Ele be agbo sia nanɔ tutu ɣe sia ɣi. Mele be woaʋui o, eye ame aɖeke mato eme age ɖe eme o. Ele be wòanɔ tutu, elabena Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la to eme ge ɖe eme.
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.
3 Fiaviŋutsu la ŋutɔ koe nye ame si anɔ agbo la nu be wòaɖu nu le Yehowa ŋkume. Ele nɛ be wòage ɖe eme to akpata la me, eye wòado go to afi ma ke.”
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.”
4 Tete ŋutsu la kplɔm to anyiehegbo la me yi gbedoxɔ la ŋgɔ. Metsa ŋku, eye mekpɔ Yehowa ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe wòyɔ Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ la, eye metsyɔ mo anyi.
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.
5 Eye Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, lé ŋku ɖe nu ŋu nyuie, ɖo to nyuie, eye nàlé fɔ ɖe nu sia nu si magblɔ na wò tso Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ la ƒe ɖoɖowo ŋuti kple afi siwo woato ado go le Kɔkɔeƒe la ŋuti.
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.
6 Gblɔ na Israel ƒe aƒe dzeaglã la be, ‘Nya si Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi. Miaƒe ŋukpenanuwɔnawo sɔ gbɔ, O! Israel ƒe aƒe!
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.
7 Kpe ɖe miaƒe ŋukpenanuwɔna bubuawo ŋu la, miekplɔ amedzro, ame siwo wometso aʋa na le dzi me alo le ŋutilã me o la, va nye kɔkɔeƒe la, eye miegblẽ kɔ ɖo na nye gbedoxɔ la le esime miena nuɖuɖum, lãmi kple ʋu, eye mietu nye nubabla la.
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.
8 Le esime miawɔ miaƒe dɔdeasiwo le nye nu kɔkɔewo ŋuti la, mietsɔ ame bubuwo be woakpɔ nye kɔkɔeƒe la dzi.’
And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’
9 Nya si Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye, ‘Amedzro aɖeke, ame si wometso aʋa na le dzi me kple ŋutilã me o la, mekpɔ mɔ age ɖe nye Kɔkɔeƒe la o, amedzro siwo le Israelviwo dome gɔ̃ hã mekpɔ mɔ o.
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.
10 “‘Levitɔ siwo de megbe le ŋunye, esime Israel tra mɔ, eye wòdzo le gbɔnye hedze legbawo yome la, axɔ woƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe yomedzenu.
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.
11 Woate ŋu asubɔ le nye kɔkɔeƒe la, adzɔ gbedoxɔ la ƒe agbowo ŋu, eye woasubɔ le afi ma; woate ŋu awu numevɔsawo ƒe lãwo kple ameawo tɔwo, woatsi tsitre ɖe ameawo ŋkume, eye woasubɔ wo.
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.
12 Ke, le esime wosubɔ ameawo le woƒe legbawo ŋkume, eye wona Israel ƒe aƒe la dze nu vɔ̃ me ta la, meka atam le esime mekɔ asi dzi be woaxɔ woƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe yomedzenuwo. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
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.
13 Mele be woate ɖe ŋunye be yewoasubɔm abe nunɔlawo ene alo ate ɖe nye nu kɔkɔewo alo nye vɔsa kɔkɔewo ŋu o. Ele na wo be woatsɔ woƒe ŋukpenanuwɔnawo ƒe ŋukpe.
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.
14 Ke matsɔ wo ada ɖe gbedoxɔ la ƒe dɔdeasiwo kple dɔ sia dɔ si woawɔ le eme la nu.
Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it.
15 “‘Ke nunɔlaawo, ame siwo nye Levitɔwo kple Zadok ƒe dzidzimeviwo, eye wowɔ woƒe dɔdeasiwo le nye kɔkɔeƒe la kple nuteƒewɔwɔ esime Israelviwo tra mɔ tso gbɔnye la, ate va, eye woasubɔ le nye ŋkume. Woatsi tsitre ɖe nye ŋkume be woasa vɔ kple lãmi kple ʋu. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
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.
16 Woawo koe age ɖe nye Kɔkɔeƒe la. Woawo koe ate ɖe nye kplɔ̃ la ŋu be woasubɔ le nye ŋkume, eye woawɔ nye dɔdeasi.’
They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge.
17 “‘Ne woge ɖe xɔxɔnu emetɔ ƒe agbowo me la, woado aklalawuwo, womado lãfuwu aɖeke esime wole subɔsubɔdɔ wɔm le xɔxɔnu emetɔ me alo le gbedoxɔ la me o.
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.
18 Woabla ta kple tablanu aklalatɔwo, eye woado aklalawutewuiwo ɖe ali. Womado naneke si ana woate fifia o.
They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.
19 Ne woyi xɔxɔnu egodotɔ, afi si amewo le la, woaɖe awu siwo wodo hesubɔ la da ɖe xɔ kɔkɔeawo me, eye woado woawo ŋutɔ ƒe awuwo ale be womakɔ ameawo ŋu kple woƒe awuwo o.
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.
20 “‘Womaƒlɔ ta o, eye womana woƒe ɖa nato ʋutuu hã o, ke woafɔ woƒe taɖa dzi.
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
21 Nunɔla aɖeke mano wain ne wòge ɖe xɔxɔnu emetɔ o.
No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.
22 Womaɖe ahosiwo alo nyɔnu siwo ƒe srɔ̃ɖeɖe me gblẽ o. Ame siwo woate ŋu aɖe ko la woe nye Israel ɖetugbiwo alo nunɔlawo ƒe ahosiwo.
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.
23 Ele na wo be woafia nye amewo vovototo si le nu kɔkɔe kple nu makɔmakɔ dome, eye woafia ameawo be woanya vovototo si le nu kɔkɔewo kple nu makɔmakɔwo dome.
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.
24 “‘Ne dzrenya aɖe dzɔ la, nunɔlaawo awɔ dɔ abe ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo ene, eye woatso nya me le nye sewo nu. Woalé nye sewo kple ɖoɖowo na ŋkekenyui ɖoɖiwo me ɖe asi, eye woawɔ nye Dzudzɔgbe la kɔkɔe.
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.
25 “‘Nunɔla aɖeke magblẽ kɔ ɖo na eɖokui to tete ɖe ame kuku aɖeke ŋu me o, ke ne ame kuku la nye fofoa alo dadaa, Via ŋutsu alo via nyɔnu, nɔviŋutsu alo nɔvinyɔnu srɔ̃manɔsitɔ la, ekema ate ŋu agblẽ kɔ ɖo na eɖokui.
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,
26 Ne wokɔ eŋuti la, alala ŋkeke adre.
and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.
27 Gbe si gbe wòaɖo afɔ kɔkɔeƒe la ƒe xɔxɔnu emetɔ be wòasubɔ le kɔkɔeƒe la la, ele be wòana nu hena nuvɔ̃ŋutivɔsa ɖe eɖokui ta. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
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.
28 “‘Nye koe anye domenyinu si anɔ nunɔlawo si. Mele be miana nunɔamesi aɖeke wo le Israel o. Nyee anye woƒe nunɔamesi.
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
29 Woaɖu nuɖuvɔsawo, nu vɔ̃ ŋuti vɔsawo kple fɔɖivɔsawo, eye nu sia nu si le Israel si wotsɔ na Yehowa la, anye wo tɔ.
They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.
30 Kutsetse gbãtɔwo ƒe nyuitɔwo kple miaƒe nunana tɔxɛwo katã anye nunɔlawo tɔ. Ele be miatsɔ miaƒe agblemenuku gbãtɔwo ana wo, ale be yayra nanɔ wò aƒemetɔwo dzi.
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.
31 Nunɔlawo maɖu xevi alo lã aɖe si ku loo alo lã si lã wɔadã aɖe vuvu la o.
The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.
