Hesekiel 44

1 Afei ɔbarima no san de me baa kronkronbea no abɔntenpon a ɛkyerɛ apuei fam no ano, na wɔato mu.

Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east. And it was shut.

2 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔpon a wɔato mu yi tena hɔ saa ara. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wobue. Obiara mfa hɔ nhyɛn mu. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wobue, efisɛ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn afa hɔ ahyɛn mu.

And Jehovah said to me, This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened, nor shall any man enter in by it, for Jehovah, the God of Israel, has entered in by it. Therefore it shall be shut.

3 Ɔhene no ankasa nko ara na obetumi atena abɔntenpon no ano na wadidi wɔ Awurade anim. Ɔno na otumi fa abɔntenpon no ntwironoo mu hyɛn mu, na ɔfa hɔ ara fi adi.”

As for the ruler, he shall sit in it as ruler to eat bread before Jehovah. He shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

4 Afei ɔbarima no de me faa atifi fam abɔntenpon no mu de me baa asɔredan no anim. Mehwɛe, na mihuu Awurade anuonyam sɛ ahyɛ Awurade asɔredan no ma, na mibutuw hɔ.

Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house. And I looked, and, behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house of Jehovah. And I fell upon my face.

5 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Onipa ba, hwɛ ade yiye, tie no yiye, na ma wʼani nku biribiara a mɛka akyerɛ wo a ɛfa nhyehyɛe a ɛwɔ Awurade asɔredan no ho nyinaa ho. Ma wʼani nku asɔredan no pon ne mmeae a wɔfa fi adi fi kronkronbea hɔ no nyinaa ho.

And Jehovah said to me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say to thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of Jehovah, and all the laws of it. And mark well the entrance of the house, with every exit of the sanctuary.

6 Ka kyerɛ Israelfo atuatewfo no se, ‘Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Mo akyiwadeyɛ no adɔɔso. Israelfo!

And thou shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the lord Jehovah: O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

7 Mo akyiwadeyɛ a aka no nyinaa akyi no, mode ananafo a wɔyɛ koma mu ne honam fam momonotofo aba me kronkronbea de agu mʼasɔredan ho fi, bere a mode aduan, srade ne mogya brɛɛ me na mosɛee mʼapam no.

in that ye have brought in foreigners, 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 to all your abominations.

8 Sɛ mobɛyɛ mo adwuma a ɛfa mʼakronkronne ho no, momaa afoforo bɛhwɛɛ me kronkronbea so mmom.

And ye have not kept the charge of my holy things, but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.

9 Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Ɔnanani a ɔyɛ koma mu ne honam fam momonoto biara nni kwan sɛ ɔhyɛn me kronkronbea hɔ, ananafo a wɔte Israelfo mu mpo nni kwan saa.

Thus says the lord Jehovah: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners that are among the sons of Israel.

10 “‘Lewifo a wofii me nkyɛn kɔɔ akyirikyiri bere a Israel fom kwan ne wɔn a wɔtwee wɔn ho fii me ho kodii wɔn ahoni akyi no, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn bɔne so asodi bɛda wɔn so.

But the Levites who went far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.

11 Wobetumi asom wɔ me kronkronbea hɔ bere a wɔhwɛ asɔredan no apon so na wɔsom wɔ mu; wobetumi akum ɔhyew afɔrebɔde na wɔabɔ afɔre ama nnipa no, na wɔagyina nnipa no anim asom wɔn.

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 Nanso esiane sɛ wɔsom wɔn wɔ wɔn ahoni no mu na wɔmaa Israelfo kɔɔ bɔne mu nti, mama me nsa so aka ntam se, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn bɔne so asodi bɛda wɔn so. Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.

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 Jehovah, and they shall bear their iniquity.

13 Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɛn me sɛ wɔrebɛsom me sɛ asɔfo anaasɛ wɔbɛn mʼakronkronne mu biara anaa mʼafɔrebɔde kronkron; ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn akyiwade ahorow ho aniwu ka wɔn.

And 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 shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.

14 Nanso mede asɔredan no mu dwumadi bɛhyɛ wɔn nsa, ho som biara wɔnyɛ wɔ mu.

Yet I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service of it, and for all that shall be done in it.

15 “‘Na mmom asɔfo a wɔyɛ Lewifo ne Sadok asefo a wɔyɛɛ adwuma nokware wɔ me kronkronbea bere a Israelfo fom kwan no betumi abɛn me na wɔasom wɔ mʼanim; ɛsɛ sɛ wogyina mʼanim na wɔbrɛ me srade ne mogya afɔrebɔde, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.

But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood, says the lord Jehovah:

16 Wɔn nko ara na wɔwɔ ho kwan sɛ wɔhyɛn me kronkronbea hɔ; wɔn nko ara na wɔwɔ ho kwan sɛ wotwiw bɛn me pon, bɛsom wɔ mʼanim na wɔyɛ me som nnwuma.

they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

17 “‘Sɛ wowura apon a ɛkɔ mfimfini adiwo no mu a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ nwera ntade. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ kuntu ntade, bere a wɔresom wɔ apon a ɛkɔ mfimfini adiwo hɔ anaasɛ asɔredan no mu no.

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, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

18 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ nwera abotiri na wɔhyehyɛ nwera ntade wɔ wɔn ase. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyehyɛ biribiara a ɛbɛma wɔafi fifiri.

They shall have linen headdresses upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins. They shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat.

19 Sɛ wɔkɔ mfikyiri adiwo, faako a nnipa no wɔ no a, ɛsɛ sɛ woyi ntade a wɔhyɛ de somee no na wogyaw de gu adan kronkron no mu, na wɔhyehyɛ ntade foforo, sɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wɔremfa wɔn dwumadi ntade no nnwira nnipa no ho.

And when they go forth 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 chambers. And they shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.

20 “‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ tikwaw anaasɛ wɔma wɔn tinwi fuw kuhaa, mmom ɛsɛ sɛ wobubu so fɛfɛɛfɛ.

Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads.

21 Ɔsɔfo biara nnom bobesa bere a wahyɛn mfimfini adiwo hɔ.

Neither shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter into the inner court.

22 Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔware akunafo anaa mmea awaregyaefo. Wotumi ware mmabun a wɔyɛ Israelfo asefo anaa akunafo a na anka wɔn kununom yɛ asɔfo.

Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her who is put away, but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

23 Wɔnkyerɛkyerɛ me nkurɔfo nsonoe a ɛda ade a ɛyɛ kronkron ne ade a ɛyɛ kwasafo de ntam, na wɔmma wɔn nhu nea ɛma biribi yɛ ade a ho ntew anaasɛ ho tew.

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 “‘Akasakasa biara mu no, asɔfo na wɔbɛyɛ atemmufo agyina me mmaransɛm so abu atɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wodi me mmara ne mʼahyɛde a ɛfa mʼafahyɛ ahorow no so, na wɔyɛ me homenna kronkron.

And in a controversy they shall stand to judge. They shall judge it according to my ordinances. And they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall hallow my sabbaths.

25 “‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɔfo kɔ funu ho na ɔde gu ne ho fi; gye sɛ funu no yɛ nʼagya, ne na, ne ba, ne nuabarima anaa ne nuabea a ɔnwaree; ne saa de, otumi kɔ ho de gu ne ho fi.

And 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 Na sɛ odwira ne ho a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwɛn nnanson.

And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.

27 Da a ɔbɛkɔ kronkronbea no mfimfini adiwo hɔ akɔsom wɔ kronkronbea hɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbɔ bɔne afɔre ma ne ho, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.

And 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 Jehovah.

28 “‘Me nko ara ne agyapade a asɔfo no wɔ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ moma wɔn kyɛfa biara wɔ Israel. Mɛyɛ wɔn kyɛfa.

And they shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance. And ye shall give them no possession in Israel. I am their possession.

29 Wobedi aduan afɔrebɔde, bɔne afɔrebɔde, afɔdi afɔrebɔde, na biribiara a wɔahyira so ama Awurade wɔ Israel no bɛyɛ wɔn dea.

They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering. And every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.

30 Mo nnuaba a edi kan no mu nea edi mu ne mo akyɛde sononko no nyinaa bɛyɛ asɔfo no de. Ɛsɛ sɛ mode mo mmɔre a edi kan no ma wɔn na nhyira atena mo afi mu.

And the first of all the first-fruits of every thing, and every oblation of everything, of all your oblations, shall be for the priest. Ye shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on thy house.

31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ asɔfo no we aboa biara a wawu nam; sɛ ɛyɛ anomaa anaa wuram aboa biara.’”

The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast.