UHezekheli 44
1 Wasengibuyisela ngendlela yesango lendawo engcwele engaphandle, elikhangele ngasempumalanga, elalivalekile.
The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut.
2 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Lelisango lizahlala livaliwe, kaliyikuvulwa, kakulamuntu ozangena ngalo; ngoba iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ingene ngalo, ngakho lizakuba livalekile.
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 Libe ngelesiphathamandla; isiphathamandla, sona sizahlala kilo, ukuthi sidle isinkwa phambi kweNkosi. Ngendlela yekhulusi lesango sizangena, langendlela yalo sizaphuma.
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 Wasengiletha ngendlela yesango lenyakatho ngaphambi kwendlu. Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, inkazimulo yeNkosi yagcwalisa indlu yeNkosi; ngasengisithi mbo ngobuso bami.
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 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, 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 Njalo uzakuthi kubo abavukelayo, kiyo indlu kaIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Sekwanele kini, ngenxa yazo zonke izinengiso zenu, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.
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 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 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 Njalo kaligcinanga umlindo wezinto zami ezingcwele; kodwa lizimisele abagcini bomlindo wami endaweni yami engcwele.
And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’
9 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kakulamuntu wezizwe, ongasokanga enhliziyweni, kumbe ongasokanga enyameni, ozangena endaweni yami engcwele, kuye wonke owezizwe ophakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
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 Kodwa amaLevi asuka aya khatshana lami, lapho uIsrayeli eduha, aduha esuka kimi elandela izithombe zawo, ngitsho azathwala isiphambeko sawo.
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 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 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 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 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 Njalo kabayikusondela kimi, ukuze bangisebenzele njengabapristi, loba basondele lakuziphi izinto zami ezingcwele, endaweni eyingcwelengcwele; kodwa bazathwala ihlazo labo, lamanyala abo abawenzileyo.
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 Kodwa ngizabenza abagcini bomlindo wendlu, kuwo wonke umsebenzi wayo, lakukho konke okuzakwenziwa kiyo.
Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it.
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, 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 Bona bazangena endaweni yami engcwele, bona basondele etafuleni lami ukungikhonza, bagcine umlindo wami.
They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge.
17 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho bengena emasangweni eguma elingaphakathi, bagqoke izembatho zelembu elicolekileyo, kodwa uboya bezimvu kabuyikuza phezu kwabo, besakhonza emasangweni eguma elingaphakathi, langaphakathi.
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 Kuzakuba lamaqhiye elembu elicolekileyo emakhanda abo, labokabhudula bangaphansi belembu elicolekileyo babe enkalweni zabo, bangabhinci ngokuginqisayo.
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 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 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 Futhi kabayikuphuca amakhanda abo, kabayikuvumela izihluthu zenwele zikhule zibe zinde; bazagela lokugela amakhanda abo.
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
21 Futhi kabayikunatha iwayini, ngulowo lalowompristi, ekungeneni kwabo egumeni elingaphakathi.
No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.
22 Njalo kabayikuzithathela umfelokazi kumbe olahliweyo babe ngabafazi, kodwa bazathatha izintombi ezimsulwa zenzalo yendlu yakoIsrayeli, loba umfelokazi ongumfelokazi wompristi.
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 Njalo bazafundisa abantu bami umehluko phakathi kokungcwele lokungangcwele, babazise umehluko phakathi kokungcolileyo lokuhlambulukileyo.
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 Lekuphikisaneni bona bazakuma ekwahluleleni, bahlulele ngokwezahlulelo zami. Bagcine imilayo yami lezimiso zami kiyo yonke imikhosi yami emisiweyo, bangcwelise amasabatha ami.
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 Njalo kabayikuza emuntwini ofileyo ukuzingcolisa; kodwa ngoyise, kumbe ngonina, kumbe ngendodana, kumbe ngendodakazi, ngomfowabo, kumbe ngodadewabo ongeyisuye wendoda, bangazingcolisa.
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 Langemva kokuhlanjululwa kwakhe bazambalela insuku eziyisikhombisa.
and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.
27 Langosuku azangena ngalo endaweni engcwele, egumeni elingaphakathi, ukuyakhonza endaweni engcwele, uzanikela umnikelo wakhe wesono, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
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 Lokhu kuzakuba yilifa kubo; ngiyilifa labo; njalo kaliyikubanika imfuyo koIsrayeli; mina ngiyinzuzo yabo.
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
29 Bona bazakudla umnikelo wokudla, lomnikelo wesono, lomnikelo wecala, lakho konke okwehlukanisiweyo koIsrayeli kuzakuba ngokwabo.
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 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 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 Abapristi kabayikudla loba kuyini okuzifeleyo, loba okudatshuliweyo, okwenyoni kumbe okwenyamazana.
The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.
