UHezekheli 44
1 Wasengibuyisela ngendlela yesango lendawo engcwele engaphandle, elikhangele ngasempumalanga, elalivalekile.
Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut.
2 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Lelisango lizahlala livaliwe, kaliyikuvulwa, kakulamuntu ozangena ngalo; ngoba iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ingene ngalo, ngakho lizakuba livalekile.
The LORD said to me, “This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened, no man shall enter in by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered in by it. Therefore it shall be shut.
3 Libe ngelesiphathamandla; isiphathamandla, sona sizahlala kilo, ukuthi sidle isinkwa phambi kweNkosi. Ngendlela yekhulusi lesango sizangena, langendlela yalo sizaphuma.
As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out the same way.”
4 Wasengiletha ngendlela yesango lenyakatho ngaphambi kwendlu. Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, inkazimulo yeNkosi yagcwalisa indlu yeNkosi; ngasengisithi mbo ngobuso bami.
Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and behold, the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house; so I fell on my face.
5 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, beka inhliziyo yakho, ubone ngamehlo akho, uzwe ngendlebe zakho, konke engizakutshela khona mayelana lezimiso zonke zendlu yeNkosi, lemilayo yayo yonke; ubeke inhliziyo yakho kuyo indawo yokungena yendlu, lazo zonke izindawo zokuphuma zendawo engcwele.
The LORD said to me, “Son of man, mark well, and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I tell you concerning all the ordinances of the LORD’s house and all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every exit of the sanctuary.
6 Njalo uzakuthi kubo abavukelayo, kiyo indlu kaIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Sekwanele kini, ngenxa yazo zonke izinengiso zenu, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.
You shall tell the rebellious, even the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “You house of Israel, let that be enough of all your abominations,
7 Ngoba lingenisile abezizwe, abangasokanga ngenhliziyo labangasokanga ngenyama, ukuthi babe sendaweni yami engcwele, ukuyingcolisa, ngitsho indlu yami, lapho linikela isinkwa sami, amafutha, legazi, futhi bephulile isivumelwano sami ngamanyala enu wonke.
in that you have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood; and they have broken my covenant, to add to all your abominations.
8 Njalo kaligcinanga umlindo wezinto zami ezingcwele; kodwa lizimisele abagcini bomlindo wami endaweni yami engcwele.
You have not performed the duty of my holy things; but you have set performers of my duty in my sanctuary for yourselves.”
9 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kakulamuntu wezizwe, ongasokanga enhliziyweni, kumbe ongasokanga enyameni, ozangena endaweni yami engcwele, kuye wonke owezizwe ophakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
The Lord GOD says, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel.
10 Kodwa amaLevi asuka aya khatshana lami, lapho uIsrayeli eduha, aduha esuka kimi elandela izithombe zawo, ngitsho azathwala isiphambeko sawo.
“‘“But the Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they will bear their iniquity.
11 Kube kanti azakuba yizikhonzi endaweni yami engcwele, belobubonisi bamasango endlu, njalo ekhonza endlini; wona azahlaba umnikelo wokutshiswa lomhlatshelo owenzelwa abantu, wona ame phambi kwabo ukuze abakhonze.
Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house. They shall kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.
12 Ngenxa yokuthi bebakhonze phambi kwezithombe zabo, baba yisikhubekiso sesiphambeko kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli, ngalokho ngiphakamise isandla sami ngimelene labo, itsho iNkosi uJehova, ukuthi bazathwala isiphambeko sabo.
Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up my hand against them,” says the Lord GOD, “and they will bear their iniquity.
13 Njalo kabayikusondela kimi, ukuze bangisebenzele njengabapristi, loba basondele lakuziphi izinto zami ezingcwele, endaweni eyingcwelengcwele; kodwa bazathwala ihlazo labo, lamanyala abo abawenzileyo.
They shall not come near to me, to execute the office of priest to me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.
14 Kodwa ngizabenza abagcini bomlindo wendlu, kuwo wonke umsebenzi wayo, lakukho konke okuzakwenziwa kiyo.
Yet I will make them performers of the duty of the house, for all its service and for all that will be done therein.
15 Kodwa abapristi abangamaLevi, amadodana kaZadoki, abagcina umlindo wendawo yami engcwele lapho abantwana bakoIsrayeli beduha besuka kimi, bona bazasondela kimi ukungikhonza, beme phambi kwami ukunikela kimi amahwahwa legazi, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
“‘“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD.
16 Bona bazangena endaweni yami engcwele, bona basondele etafuleni lami ukungikhonza, bagcine umlindo wami.
“They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my instruction.
17 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho bengena emasangweni eguma elingaphakathi, bagqoke izembatho zelembu elicolekileyo, kodwa uboya bezimvu kabuyikuza phezu kwabo, besakhonza emasangweni eguma elingaphakathi, langaphakathi.
“‘“It will be that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments. No wool shall come on them while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
18 Kuzakuba lamaqhiye elembu elicolekileyo emakhanda abo, labokabhudula bangaphansi belembu elicolekileyo babe enkalweni zabo, bangabhinci ngokuginqisayo.
They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and shall have linen trousers on their waists. They shall not clothe themselves with anything that makes them sweat.
19 Lalapho bephumela egumeni elingaphandle, ngitsho egumeni elingaphandle besiya ebantwini, bazakhulula izembatho zabo abakhonza ngazo, bazibeke emakamelweni angcwele, bagqoke ezinye izigqoko, njalo kabayikungcwelisa abantu ngezembatho zabo.
When they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they minister and lay them in the holy rooms. They shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.
20 Futhi kabayikuphuca amakhanda abo, kabayikuvumela izihluthu zenwele zikhule zibe zinde; bazagela lokugela amakhanda abo.
“‘“They shall not shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
21 Futhi kabayikunatha iwayini, ngulowo lalowompristi, ekungeneni kwabo egumeni elingaphakathi.
None of the priests shall drink wine when they enter into the inner court.
22 Njalo kabayikuzithathela umfelokazi kumbe olahliweyo babe ngabafazi, kodwa bazathatha izintombi ezimsulwa zenzalo yendlu yakoIsrayeli, loba umfelokazi ongumfelokazi wompristi.
They shall not take for their wives a widow, or her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.
23 Njalo bazafundisa abantu bami umehluko phakathi kokungcwele lokungangcwele, babazise umehluko phakathi kokungcolileyo lokuhlambulukileyo.
They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
24 Lekuphikisaneni bona bazakuma ekwahluleleni, bahlulele ngokwezahlulelo zami. Bagcine imilayo yami lezimiso zami kiyo yonke imikhosi yami emisiweyo, bangcwelise amasabatha ami.
“‘“In a controversy they shall stand to judge. They shall judge it according to my ordinances. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts. They shall make my Sabbaths holy.
25 Njalo kabayikuza emuntwini ofileyo ukuzingcolisa; kodwa ngoyise, kumbe ngonina, kumbe ngendodana, kumbe ngendodakazi, ngomfowabo, kumbe ngodadewabo ongeyisuye wendoda, bangazingcolisa.
“‘“They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband, they may defile themselves.
26 Langemva kokuhlanjululwa kwakhe bazambalela insuku eziyisikhombisa.
After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.
27 Langosuku azangena ngalo endaweni engcwele, egumeni elingaphakathi, ukuyakhonza endaweni engcwele, uzanikela umnikelo wakhe wesono, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
In the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering,” says the Lord GOD.
28 Lokhu kuzakuba yilifa kubo; ngiyilifa labo; njalo kaliyikubanika imfuyo koIsrayeli; mina ngiyinzuzo yabo.
“‘They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel. I am their possession.
29 Bona bazakudla umnikelo wokudla, lomnikelo wesono, lomnikelo wecala, lakho konke okwehlukanisiweyo koIsrayeli kuzakuba ngokwabo.
They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.
30 Lokuqala kwazo zonke izithelo zokuqala zakho konke, lawo wonke umnikelo wakho konke, kuyo yonke iminikelo yenu, kuzakuba ngokwabapristi; lokuqala kwenhlama yenu likunike umpristi, ukuhlalisa isibusiso phezu kwendlu yakho.
The first of all the first fruits of every thing, and every offering of everything, of all your offerings, shall be for the priest. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.
31 Abapristi kabayikudla loba kuyini okuzifeleyo, loba okudatshuliweyo, okwenyoni kumbe okwenyamazana.
The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself or is torn, whether it is bird or animal.
