UHezekheli 44
1 Wasengibuyisela ngendlela yesango lendawo engcwele engaphandle, elikhangele ngasempumalanga, elalivalekile.
The man took me back to the outside gate of the sanctuary that faced to the 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.
The Lord told me, “This gate will stay shut. It is not be opened. No one is allowed to come in through it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has passed through it. So it will stay shut.
3 Libe ngelesiphathamandla; isiphathamandla, sona sizahlala kilo, ukuthi sidle isinkwa phambi kweNkosi. Ngendlela yekhulusi lesango sizangena, langendlela yalo sizaphuma.
The prince himself is permitted to come and sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to come in through the gateway's porch and leave the same way.”
4 Wasengiletha ngendlela yesango lenyakatho ngaphambi kwendlu. Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, inkazimulo yeNkosi yagcwalisa indlu yeNkosi; ngasengisithi mbo ngobuso bami.
The man took me to the front of the Temple through the north gate. As I looked, I saw the glory of the Lord filling his Temple, and I fell with my face to the ground.
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 told me, “Son of man, concentrate! Keep your eyes open! Listen carefully to everything I tell you about all the regulations and laws of the Lord's Temple. Pay close attention to the Temple entrance and 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 those rebels, the people of Israel, that this is what the Lord God says: I've had more than enough of all your disgusting sins, people 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.
As well as all your other offensive practices, you invited unconverted, pagan foreigners to come into my sanctuary. You made my Temple unclean even while you offered food to me, the fat and the blood. You broke my agreement.
8 Njalo kaligcinanga umlindo wezinto zami ezingcwele; kodwa lizimisele abagcini bomlindo wami endaweni yami engcwele.
In addition you have not taken care of my sanctuary as you were required to, but instead you employed others to look after 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 unconverted, pagan foreigners are allowed to enter my sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives with the Israelites.
10 Kodwa amaLevi asuka aya khatshana lami, lapho uIsrayeli eduha, aduha esuka kimi elandela izithombe zawo, ngitsho azathwala isiphambeko sawo.
The Levites who abandoned me when Israel turned from worshiping me and went off to follow their idols will experience the consequences of their sins.
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.
However, they will serve in my sanctuary, supervising the Temple gates and working in the Temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices brought by the people and be there to serve 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.
But because they served the people in front of their idols and encouraged the people of Israel to sin, I held up my hand to promise on oath that they would experience the consequences of their sin, 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 are not allowed to come near me to serve me as priests, and they are not to touch anything I regard as holy or most holy. They will have to experience the shame of the disgusting sins they committed.
14 Kodwa ngizabenza abagcini bomlindo wendlu, kuwo wonke umsebenzi wayo, lakukho konke okuzakwenziwa kiyo.
However, I will put them in charge of all Temple work and everything that needs to be done there.
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.
It is the Levitical priests, descended from Zadok and who took care of my sanctuary when the Israelites abandoned me, are the ones to come near to me and minister before me. They will stand in my presence to offer me fat and blood, declares the Lord God.
16 Bona bazangena endaweni yami engcwele, bona basondele etafuleni lami ukungikhonza, bagcine umlindo wami.
Only they are allowed to enter my sanctuary and approach my table to minister before me. They will do what I say.
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 come in through the entrances of the inner courtyard, they shall wear linen garments. They must not wear any woolen clothes when they serve at the entrances of the inner courtyard or inside the Temple.
18 Kuzakuba lamaqhiye elembu elicolekileyo emakhanda abo, labokabhudula bangaphansi belembu elicolekileyo babe enkalweni zabo, bangabhinci ngokuginqisayo.
They shall wear linen turbans on their heads and linen underwear. They are not to wear 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 to the outer court where the people are, they must take off their priestly clothes they wore when they were serving, and leave them in the holy rooms. They are to put on other clothes so that they don't carry holiness to the people with their clothing.
20 Futhi kabayikuphuca amakhanda abo, kabayikuvumela izihluthu zenwele zikhule zibe zinde; bazagela lokugela amakhanda abo.
They are not permitted to shave their heads or let their hair grow long; they must have a proper haircut.
21 Futhi kabayikunatha iwayini, ngulowo lalowompristi, ekungeneni kwabo egumeni elingaphakathi.
No priest shall drink wine before he enters the inner courtyard.
22 Njalo kabayikuzithathela umfelokazi kumbe olahliweyo babe ngabafazi, kodwa bazathatha izintombi ezimsulwa zenzalo yendlu yakoIsrayeli, loba umfelokazi ongumfelokazi wompristi.
They are not to marry a woman who is a widow or divorced; they can only marry a virgin of Israelite descent, 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 what is holy and what is common, and explain to them how to distinguish between what is clean and what is unclean.
24 Lekuphikisaneni bona bazakuma ekwahluleleni, bahlulele ngokwezahlulelo zami. Bagcine imilayo yami lezimiso zami kiyo yonke imikhosi yami emisiweyo, bangcwelise amasabatha ami.
They are to serve as judges in legal cases, and base their decisions on my laws. They are to follow my instructions and regulations regarding all my regular religious festivals, and they are to 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 make himself unclean by going near a dead body. However, if it's his father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or a sister that's not married, then he may do so.
26 Langemva kokuhlanjululwa kwakhe bazambalela insuku eziyisikhombisa.
Afterwards, once he is purified, he must wait for seven days.
27 Langosuku azangena ngalo endaweni engcwele, egumeni elingaphakathi, ukuyakhonza endaweni engcwele, uzanikela umnikelo wakhe wesono, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
Then when he enters the sanctuary, going into the inner courtyard and ministering there in the sanctuary, he has to present his sin offering, declares the Lord God.
28 Lokhu kuzakuba yilifa kubo; ngiyilifa labo; njalo kaliyikubanika imfuyo koIsrayeli; mina ngiyinzuzo yabo.
Regarding their share of the land, I will take care of them. You are not to give them any property in Israel, because I will provide for them.
29 Bona bazakudla umnikelo wokudla, lomnikelo wesono, lomnikelo wecala, lakho konke okwehlukanisiweyo koIsrayeli kuzakuba ngokwabo.
They are to eat the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. Everything brought by the people of Israel and dedicated to the Lord will 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 best of all the firstfruits and all your offerings are for the priests. You shall give the first loaf you bake to the priest, so that your home may be blessed.
31 Abapristi kabayikudla loba kuyini okuzifeleyo, loba okudatshuliweyo, okwenyoni kumbe okwenyamazana.
The priests are not permitted to eat any bird or animal found dead or killed by wild beasts.”
