Ezekieli 44
1 Kisha yule mtu akanirudisha hata lango la nje la patakatifu linaloelekea mashariki; lilikuwa limefungwa kwa kukazwa.
Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks towards the east; and it 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.
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 Mtawala wa Israeli atakaa katika hilo kula chakula mbele ya Yahwe. Ataingia kwa njia ya varanda na kutoka kwa njia hiyo hiyo.”
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 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 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 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.
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 Kisha waambie wale walioasi, nyumba ya Israeli, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Acheni matendo yenu maovu kwenu, nyumba ya Israeli-
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 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 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 Hamkumaliza kazi zenu zinazohusiana na vitu vitakatifu, lakini mmewateua wengine kuchukua kazi zenu, na mmewatuma kupaangalia mahali patakatifu pangu.
You have not performed the duty of my holy things; but you have set performers of my duty in my sanctuary for yourselves.”
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.
The Lord GOD says, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are amongst the children of Israel.
10 Kisha Walawi wakaenda mbali nami-wakapotea mbali nami, kwenda kwenye sanamu zao-lakini watalipa kwa ajili ya dhambi yao.
“‘“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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 Lakini nitawaweka kama watunzaji wa kazi katika nyumba, kwa kazi zote na kila kitu kitakachofanyika ndani yake.
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 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 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 Watakuja hata patakatifu pangu; wataikaribia meza yangu kuniabudu na kukamilisha kazi zao kwangu.
“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 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.
“‘“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 Kutakuwa na vilemba juu ya vichwa vyao na kitani ndani ya viuno vyao. Ndani wasivae nguo ambayo itawafanya watoke jasho.
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 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.
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 Hawatanyoa vichwa vyao wala kuruhusu nywele zao kuwa ndefu, watapunguza nywele za vichwa vyao.
“‘“They shall not shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
21 Hakuna kuhani atakaye ruhusiwa kunywa mvinyo wakati atakapoingia kwenye uwa wa ndani,
None of the priests shall drink wine when they enter into the inner court.
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.
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 Kwa kuwa watawafundisha watu wangu tofauti kati ya utakatifu na kukufuru; watawafanya kujua uchafu kutoka usafi.
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 kubishana watasimama kwenye hukumu pamoja na amri yangu; watakuwa waadilifu. Watashika sheria yangu na amri zangu katika sikukuu, na watasherekea siku yangu ya Sabato.
“‘“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 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.
“‘“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 Baada ya kuhani kuwa najisi, watahesabu mda wa siku saba kwa ajili yake.
After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him 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.
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 Hapa patakuwa urithi wao: Mimi ndiyo urithi wao, na usiwapatie mali katika Israeli; nitakuwa mali yao!
“‘They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel. I am their possession.
29 Watakula chakula cha sadaka, sadaka za dhambi, sadaka za hatia, na kila kitakachotolewa kwa ajili ya Yahwe katika Israeli, vitakuwa vyao.
They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.
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 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 Makuhani hawatakula mzoga au mnyama aliyeraruliwa, iwe ni ndege au mnyama.
The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself or is torn, whether it is bird or animal.
