Hezekiel 44
1 Azɔ la, ŋutsu la gbugbɔm va kɔkɔeƒe la ƒe agbo si dze ŋgɔ ɣedzeƒe la gbɔ. Wotui.
Then [in the vision] the man brought me back to the outer entryway to the temple [area], the one on the east side, but the outer entrance 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.
Yahweh said to me, “This entrance must remain shut. It must not be opened [by anyone]; no one will be permitted to enter it. It must remain shut because [I], Yahweh, the God of Israel, have [caused it to be sacred by] entering through it.
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 king [of Israel] will be permitted to sit inside this entryway to eat food in the presence of Yahweh. But he will must enter and leave [the temple area] through the entry room of this entryway.”
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 through the north entryway to the front of the temple. I looked and saw that the glory of Yahweh filled his temple, and I prostrated myself on the ground.
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.
Yahweh said to me, “You human, look carefully, and listen carefully to everything that I tell you about all the regulations concerning the temple. Note carefully the temple entrance and all the exits.
6 Gblɔ na Israel ƒe aƒe dzeaglã la be, ‘Nya si Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi. Miaƒe ŋukpenanuwɔnawo sɔ gbɔ, O! Israel ƒe aƒe!
Say this to the rebellious Israeli people: ‘This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: You Israeli people, I will no longer endure the detestable things that you do!
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 the other detestable things that you do, you brought into my temple foreign men who had not been circumcised and who were godless [IDM]. By doing that, you caused my temple to be an unacceptable place to worship me, while you offered food and fat and blood, and you disobeyed my agreement with you.
8 Le esime miawɔ miaƒe dɔdeasiwo le nye nu kɔkɔewo ŋuti la, mietsɔ ame bubuwo be woakpɔ nye kɔkɔeƒe la dzi.’
Instead of doing what I commanded you to do in regard to my holy things, you appointed foreigners to be in charge of my temple.
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.
But this is what [I], Yahweh, have said: No foreigners, no men who are not circumcised, no godless people are permitted to enter my temple, not even foreigners who live among you [Israelis permanently].
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.
[Most of] the descendants of Levi abandoned me along with [most of] the Israeli people, and started to worship idols. They must be punished for their sin.
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.
They are [still] permitted to work in my temple and to be in charge of the entrances of the temple, and they are permitted to slaughter the animals that will be completely burned on the altar, and [to burn other] sacrifices for the people, and they will [be able to] help the people.
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.
But because they helped the people to worship idols and caused [many of] the Israeli people [MTY] to sin [by worshiping idols], I have lifted up my arm and solemnly declared that they must be punished for their sin.
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 come near me to serve as priests. They must not come near any sacred things or the holy offerings. They must be ashamed of the shameful things that they did.
14 Ke matsɔ wo ada ɖe gbedoxɔ la ƒe dɔdeasiwo kple dɔ sia dɔ si woawɔ le eme la nu.
But I will still put them in charge of the work in the temple and allow them to do all the work that needs to be done there.
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 [most of] the priests who are descendants of Levi and from the clan of Zadok worked in my temple when the [other] Israelis abandoned me. [So they] are permitted to come near to me to work for me. They will stand in my presence to offer [sacrifices of animals’] fat and blood.
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 [are the only ones who] are permitted to enter my temple. They are [the only ones who are] permitted to come near my altar to serve me and do what I tell them to do.
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 [one of] the entrances into the inner courtyard, they must wear linen clothes. They must not wear any clothes [made] of wool while they do their work at the entrances of the inner courtyard or inside [the temple].
18 Woabla ta kple tablanu aklalatɔwo, eye woado aklalawutewuiwo ɖe ali. Womado naneke si ana woate fifia o.
They must have linen turbans [wrapped] around their heads and wrap linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that would cause them to 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.
Before they go out into the outer courtyard where [other] people are, they must take off the clothes that they have been wearing and leave them in the sacred rooms, and they must put on other clothes, in order that the other people are not punished because of [their touching] the sacred clothes.
20 “‘Womaƒlɔ ta o, eye womana woƒe ɖa nato ʋutuu hã o, ke woafɔ woƒe taɖa dzi.
The priests must not shave their heads or allow their hair to become long; but they must regularly trim [the edges of] their hair.
21 Nunɔla aɖeke mano wain ne wòge ɖe xɔxɔnu emetɔ o.
Priests must not drink wine before they enter the inner courtyard.
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.
[Also], priests must not marry widows [of men who were not priests] or women who have been divorced. [Priests are permitted to marry only] Israeli [MTY] virgins or widows of [other] priests.
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.
Priests must teach the people the difference between things that are holy/sacred and things that are not, and they must teach them the difference between things that are acceptable to me and things that are not.
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.
When there are disputes [between people], the priests are the ones who must be the judges and decide according to my laws what must be done. They must obey all my laws and decrees concerning the sacred festivals, and they must keep my Sabbath days (holy/set apart).
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 is permitted to go near the corpse of his father or his mother or his son or his daughter or his brother or his unmarried sister; but he is still defiled by doing that. But a priest must not defile himself by going near a corpse of anyone else.
26 Ne wokɔ eŋuti la, alala ŋkeke adre.
But [even] if a priest touches the corpse [of a close relative, he must perform the rituals to become acceptable to serve me again]. After he performs those rituals, he must wait seven days.
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.
Then, on the day that he enters the inner courtyard [again] to serve me in the temple, he must give an offering to remove his guilt for his sin. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.
28 “‘Nye koe anye domenyinu si anɔ nunɔlawo si. Mele be miana nunɔamesi aɖeke wo le Israel o. Nyee anye woƒe nunɔamesi.
The priests are not permitted to own any property. They will have only what I [provide for them].
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 will eat the offerings [other people make] from grain, offerings to remove people’s guilt for having sinned, and offerings made when people fail to give to Yahweh the things that they are required to give. Everything [else] in Israel that is completely dedicated to [me], Yahweh, will belong to the priests.
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 fruits of the first part of each harvest and all the [other] special gifts that are given to me will belong to the priests. You must give them the first part of your finely-ground flour, in order that I will bless [the people who live in] [MTY] your houses.
31 Nunɔlawo maɖu xevi alo lã aɖe si ku loo alo lã si lã wɔadã aɖe vuvu la o.
Priests must not eat the flesh of any bird or animal that was found dead or that has been killed by wild animals.’”
