Ehekiera 44

1 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

[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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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:

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

Priests must not drink wine before they enter the inner courtyard.

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.

[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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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 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.

The priests are not permitted to own any property. They will have only what I [provide for them].

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.

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 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.

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

Priests must not eat the flesh of any bird or animal that was found dead or that has been killed by wild animals.’”