Ezekieli 44
1 Kisha yule mtu akanirudisha hata lango la nje la patakatifu linaloelekea mashariki; lilikuwa limefungwa kwa kukazwa.
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 Yahwe akanambia, “Hili lango litakuwa limefungwa; halitafunguliwa. Hakuna mtu atakaye pitia hapo, kwa kuwa Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli ameingia kwa hilo, hivyo lilikuwa limefungwa kwa kukazwa.
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 Mtawala wa Israeli atakaa katika hilo kula chakula mbele ya Yahwe. Ataingia kwa njia ya varanda na kutoka kwa njia hiyo hiyo.”
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 Kisha akaniletea kwa njia ya lango la kaskazini linaloelekea kwenye nyumba. Hivyo nikaona na kutazama, utukufu wa Yahwe umejaa kwenye nyumba ya Yahwe, nikaanguka kifudifudi.
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 Kisha Yahwe akanambia, “Mwanadamu, andaa moyo wako na tazama kwa macho yako na sikiliza kwa masikio yako kwa yote yale nikuambiayo, kwa amri zote za nyumba ya Yahwe na maagizo yote. Fikiri kuhusu malango ya nyumba na na matokeo ya malango.
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 Kisha waambie wale walioasi, nyumba ya Israeli, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Acheni matendo yenu maovu kwenu, nyumba ya Israeli-
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 ambayo mmewaleta wageni pamoja na wasiotahiriwa mioyo na wasiotahiriwa mwili kuwa katika patakatifu pangu, kuikufuru nyumba yangu, wakati mlipokuwa mnanitolea chakula, mafuta na damu-mmevunja agano langu kwa matendo yenu maovu.
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 Hamkumaliza kazi zenu zinazohusiana na vitu vitakatifu, lakini mmewateua wengine kuchukua kazi zenu, na mmewatuma kupaangalia mahali patakatifu pangu.
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 Bwana Yahe asema hivi: hakuna mgeni, ambaye hajatahiriwa kwenye moyo wake na mwili, kutoka yeyote wa hao waishio miongoni mwa watu wa Israeli, awezaye kuingia patakatifu pangu.
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 Kisha Walawi wakaenda mbali nami-wakapotea mbali nami, kwenda kwenye sanamu zao-lakini watalipa kwa ajili ya dhambi yao.
[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 Wao ni watumishi katika patakatifu pangu, waangalizi wa malango ya nyumba na kutumika kwenye nyumba na kuchinja sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu za watu, na watasimama mbele za watu na kuwatumikia.
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 Lakini kwa sababu wamefanya dhabihu mbele ya sanamu zao, wamekuwa kikwazo kwa dhambi ya nyumba ya Israeli. Kwa hiyo nitainua mkono wangu kuapa kiapo dhidi yao-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo-watabeba adhabu yao.
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 Hawatakuja karibu nami kufanya kama makuhani au kukaribiakila vitu vyangu vitakatifu, vitu vitakatifu sana. Badala yake, watabeba lawama zao na hatia zao kwa ajili ya matendo yao ya karaha waliyoyafanya.
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 Lakini nitawaweka kama watunzaji wa kazi katika nyumba, kwa kazi zote na kila kitu kitakachofanyika ndani yake.
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 Kisha makuhani walawi, hao wana wa Zadoki ambao waliokamilisha kazi ya patakatifu pangu wakati wana wa Israeli walipotea mbali nami-watakuja karibu nami kuniambudu. Watasimama mbele yangu kunitolea mafuta na damu-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.
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 Watakuja hata patakatifu pangu; wataikaribia meza yangu kuniabudu na kukamilisha kazi zao kwangu.
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 Hivyo itakuwa kwamba watakapokuja kwenye malango ya ua wa ndani, watatakiwa kuvaa mavazi ya kitani, kwa kuwa hawatakuja na sufu ndani ya lango la ua wa ndani na nyumba yake.
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 Kutakuwa na vilemba juu ya vichwa vyao na kitani ndani ya viuno vyao. Ndani wasivae nguo ambayo itawafanya watoke jasho.
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 Wakati watakapotoka nje ya ua wa nje, hata kwenye ua wa ndani ili kwenda kwa watu, watavua nguo zao walizokuwa wamezivaa kisha wakatumika; watazivua na kuziweka chini katika chumba kitakatifu, hivyo wasiwafanye wengine watakatifu kwa kugusana na nguo zao maalumu.
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 Hawatanyoa vichwa vyao wala kuruhusu nywele zao kuwa ndefu, watapunguza nywele za vichwa vyao.
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 Hakuna kuhani atakaye ruhusiwa kunywa mvinyo wakati atakapoingia kwenye uwa wa ndani,
Priests must not drink wine before they enter the inner courtyard.
22 hakuna kuchukua mjane au mwanamke aliyetalikiwa kama mke kwa ajili yake, lakini mwali kutoka safu ya nyumba ya Israeli au mjane aliyekuwa ameolewa na kuhani aliyepita.
[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 Kwa kuwa watawafundisha watu wangu tofauti kati ya utakatifu na kukufuru; watawafanya kujua uchafu kutoka usafi.
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 Katika kubishana watasimama kwenye hukumu pamoja na amri yangu; watakuwa waadilifu. Watashika sheria yangu na amri zangu katika sikukuu, na watasherekea siku yangu ya Sabato.
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 Hawataenda kwa mtu aliyekufa ili wasiwe najisi, vinginevyo awe ni baba au mama yao, mwana wa kiume au binti, kaka au dada ambaye hajawahi kulala na mtu; vinginevyo, watakuwa najisi.
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 Baada ya kuhani kuwa najisi, watahesabu mda wa siku saba kwa ajili yake.
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 Katika siku atakayoingia mahali patakatifu, ndani kwenye uzio kutumika katika mahali patakatifu, ataleta sadaka ya dhambi kwa ajili yake mwenyewe-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.
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 Hapa patakuwa urithi wao: Mimi ndiyo urithi wao, na usiwapatie mali katika Israeli; nitakuwa mali yao!
The priests are not permitted to own any property. They will have only what I [provide for them].
29 Watakula chakula cha sadaka, sadaka za dhambi, sadaka za hatia, na kila kitakachotolewa kwa ajili ya Yahwe katika Israeli, vitakuwa vyao.
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 Malimbuko ya kwanza ya vitu na kila sadaka, kila kitu kitokanacho na sadaka zenu vitakuwa mali ya makuhani, mtatoa sadaka ya chakula kizuri kwa makuhani ili kwamba baraka iweze kukaa katika nyumba zenu.
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 Makuhani hawatakula mzoga au mnyama aliyeraruliwa, iwe ni ndege au mnyama.
Priests must not eat the flesh of any bird or animal that was found dead or that has been killed by wild animals.’”
