Ezekieli 44
1 Ndipo yule mtu akanirudisha mpaka kwenye lango la nje la mahali Patakatifu, lile linaloelekea upande wa mashariki, nalo lilikuwa limefungwa.
Then he brought me back the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
2 Bwana akaniambia, “Lango hili litabaki limefungwa. Haliruhusiwi kufunguliwa, wala hakuna mtu yeyote anayeruhusiwa kuingilia kwenye lango hili. Litabaki limefungwa kwa sababu Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ameingia kwa kupitia lango hili.
And the LORD said unto me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut.
3 Yeye aliye mkuu peke yake ndiye anayeweza kukaa penye njia ya hilo lango na kula chakula mbele za Bwana. Itampasa aingie kwa njia hiyo ya lango la ukumbini na kutokea njia iyo hiyo.”
As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
4 Kisha yule mtu akanileta kwa njia ya lango la kaskazini mpaka mbele ya Hekalu. Nikatazama nami nikauona utukufu wa Bwana ukilijaza Hekalu la Bwana, nami nikaanguka kifudifudi.
Then he brought me the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.
5 Bwana akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, angalia kwa uangalifu, usikilize kwa bidii na uzingatie kila kitu ninachokuambia kuhusu masharti yote yanayohusu Hekalu la Bwana. Uwe mwangalifu kuhusu wale wanaoruhusiwa hekaluni na wale wasioruhusiwa kuingia mahali patakatifu.
And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.
6 Iambie nyumba ya kuasi ya Israeli, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Matendo yenu ya machukizo yatosha, ee nyumba ya Israeli!
And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD: O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,
7 Zaidi ya matendo yenu yote ya machukizo, mmewaleta wageni wasiotahiriwa mioyo na miili katika patakatifu pangu, mkilinajisi Hekalu langu, huku mkinitolea chakula, mafuta ya wanyama na damu, nanyi mmevunja Agano langu.
in that ye have brought in aliens, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant, [to add] unto all your abominations.
8 Badala ya kutimiza wajibu wenu kuhusiana na vitu vyangu vitakatifu, mmeweka watu wengine kuwa viongozi katika patakatifu pangu.
And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.
9 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Hakuna mgeni asiyetahiriwa moyo na mwilini anayeruhusiwa kuingia patakatifu pangu, wala hata wageni wanaoishi miongoni mwa Waisraeli.
Thus saith the Lord GOD, No alien, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any alien that is among the children of Israel.
10 “‘Walawi walioniacha wakati Waisraeli walipopotoka wakatoka kwangu na kutangatanga kwa kufuata sanamu zao, watachukua adhabu ya dhambi zao.
But the Levites that went far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray from me after their idols; they shall bear their iniquity.
11 Wanaweza wakatumika katika mahali patakatifu pangu, wakiwa na uangalizi wa malango ya Hekalu, nao watachinja sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu kwa ajili ya watu na kusimama mbele ya watu ili kuwahudumia.
Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.
12 Lakini kwa sababu waliwatumikia watu mbele ya sanamu zao na kuifanya nyumba ya Israeli ianguke kwenye dhambi, kwa hiyo nimeapa kwa mkono ulioinuliwa kwamba ni lazima wachukue matokeo ya dhambi yao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and became a stumblingblock of iniquity unto the house of Israel; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.
13 Hawaruhusiwi kukaribia ili kunitumikia kama makuhani wala kukaribia chochote changu kilicho kitakatifu au sadaka iliyo takatifu kupita zote, bali watachukua aibu ya matendo yao ya kuchukiza.
And they shall not come near unto me, to execute the office of priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, unto the things that are most holy: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.
14 Lakini nitawaweka katika uangalizi wa Hekalu na kazi zote zile zinazotakiwa kufanyika ndani yake.
Yet will I make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.
15 “‘Lakini makuhani, ambao ni Walawi na wazao wa Sadoki, ambao walitimiza wajibu wao kwa uaminifu katika patakatifu pangu wakati Waisraeli walipopotoka, watakaribia ili kutumika mbele zangu. Itawapasa wasimame mbele zangu ili kutoa dhabihu za mafuta ya wanyama na damu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:
16 Wao peke yao ndio wenye ruhusa ya kuingia mahali patakatifu pangu. Wao peke yao ndio watakaokaribia meza yangu ili kuhudumu mbele zangu na kufanya utumishi wangu.
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.
17 “‘Watakapoingia kwenye malango ya ukumbi wa ndani, watavaa nguo za kitani safi, hawaruhusiwi kamwe kuvaa mavazi ya sufu wakati wanapokuwa wakihudumu kwenye malango ya ukumbi wa ndani wala ndani ya Hekalu.
And it shall be that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
18 Watavaa vilemba vya kitani safi vichwani mwao na nguo za ndani za kitani safi viunoni mwao. Hawatavaa chochote kitakachowafanya kutoa jasho.
They shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with [any thing that causeth] sweat.
19 Watakapotoka ili kuingia katika ukumbi wa nje mahali watu walipo, watavua nguo walizokuwa wakihudumu nazo na wataziacha katika vyumba vitakatifu nao watavaa nguo nyingine, ili kwamba wasije wakaambukiza watu utakatifu kwa njia ya mavazi yao.
And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments.
20 “‘Hawatanyoa nywele za vichwa vyao wala kuziacha ziwe ndefu, bali watazipunguza.
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
21 Kuhani yeyote asinywe mvinyo aingiapo katika ukumbi wa ndani.
Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
22 Wasioe wanawake wajane wala walioachika, inawapasa kuoa wanawake bikira wenye heshima wa Israeli au wajane wa makuhani.
Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest.
23 Watawafundisha watu wangu tofauti kati ya vitu vitakatifu na vitu vya kawaida na kuwaonyesha jinsi ya kupambanua kati ya vitu najisi na vitu safi.
And 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 “‘Katika magombano yoyote, makuhani watatumika kama mahakimu na kuamua hilo jambo kufuatana na sheria zangu. Watazishika sheria zangu na maagizo yangu katika sikukuu zangu zote zilizoamriwa, nao watatakasa Sabato zangu.
And in a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to my judgments shall they judge it: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
25 “‘Kuhani asijitie unajisi kwa kukaribia maiti, lakini, kama mtu aliyekufa alikuwa baba yake au mama yake, mwana au binti yake, ndugu yake au dada ambaye hajaolewa, basi aweza kujitia unajisi kwa hao.
And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
26 Baada ya kujitakasa, atakaa hali hiyo kwa muda wa siku saba.
And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
27 Siku atakapoingia katika ukumbi wa ndani wa mahali patakatifu ili kuhudumu, atatoa sadaka ya dhambi kwa ajili yake mwenyewe, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.
28 “‘Mimi nitakuwa ndio urithi pekee walio nao makuhani katika Israeli. Msiwape wao milki, mimi nitakuwa milki yao.
And they shall have an inheritance; I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.
29 Wao watakula sadaka za nafaka, sadaka za dhambi na sadaka za hatia na kila kitu kitakachotolewa kwa Bwana katika Israeli kitakuwa chao.
They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.
30 Yote yaliyo bora ya malimbuko ya vitu vyote na matoleo yenu maalum vitakuwa vya makuhani. Inawapasa kuwapa malimbuko ya kwanza ya unga wenu ili kwamba baraka ipate kuwa katika nyumba zenu.
And the first of all the firstfruits of every thing, and every oblation of every thing, of all your oblations, shall be for the priests: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on thine house.
31 Makuhani hawaruhusiwi kula chochote, ikiwa ni ndege au mnyama, aliyekutwa akiwa amekufa au aliyeraruliwa na wanyama pori.
The priests shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
