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 that looks eastward; 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 the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and 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.”

For the prince, he shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth 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.

And he brought me in by the way of the gate that looks northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold, the house was full of the glory of the Lord: 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 the Lord said to me, Son of man, attend with thine heart, and see with [thine] eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say to thee, according to all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the regulations thereof; and thou shalt attend well to the entrance of the house, according to all its outlets, in all the holy things.

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

And thou shalt say to the provoking house, [even] to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Let it suffice you [to have committed] all your iniquities, O house of Israel!

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.

that ye have brought in aliens, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, and to profane it, when ye offered bread, flesh, and blood; and ye transgressed my covenant by all your iniquities;

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

and ye appointed [others] to keep the charges in my sanctuary.

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.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; No alien, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of all the children of strangers that are in the midst of the house 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 as for the Levites who departed far from me when Israel went astray from me after their imaginations, they shall even 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 minister in my sanctuary, [being] porters at the gates of the house, and serving the house: they shall slay the victims and the whole-burnt-offerings for the people, and they shall stand before the people 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 it became to the house of Israel a punishment of iniquity; therefore have I lifted up my hand against them, saith the Lord God.

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 draw nigh to me to minister to me in the priests' office, nor to approach the holy things of the children of Israel, nor [to approach] my holy of holies: but they shall bear their reproach for the error wherein they erred.

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

They shall bring them to keep the charges of the house, for all the service of it, and for all that they shall do.

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.

The priests the Levites, the sons of Sadduc, who kept the charges of my sanctuary when the house of Israel went astray from me, these shall draw night to me to minister to me, and shall stand before my face, to offer sacrifice to me, the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God.

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.

These shall enter into my sanctuary, and these shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charges.

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 come to pass when they enter the gates of the inner court, [that] they shall put on linen robes; and they shall not put on woollen garments when they minister at the gate of the inner court.

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

And they shall have linen mitres upon their heads, and shall have linen drawers upon their loins; and they shall not tightly gird themselves.

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 out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their robes, in which they minister; and they shall lay them up in the chambers of the sanctuary, and shall put on other robes, and they shall not sanctify the people with their robes.

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

And they shall not shave their heads, nor shall they pluck off their hair; they shall carefully cover their heads.

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

And no priest shall drink any wine, when they go 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 to themselves to wife a widow, or one that is put away, but a virgin of the seed of Israel: but if there should happen to be a priest's widow, they shall take [her].

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 [to distinguish] between holy and profane, and they shall make known to them [the difference] between unclean and 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 these shall attend at a judgment of blood to decide it: they shall rightly observe my ordinances, and judge my judgments, and keep my statutes and my commandments in all my 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 not go in to the dead body of a man to defile themselves: only [a priest] may defile himself for a father, or for a mother, or for a son, or for a daughter, or for a brother, or for his sister, who has not been married.

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

And after he has been cleansed, let him number to himself 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 on whatsoever day they shall enter into the inner court to minister in the holy place, they shall bring a propitiation, saith the Lord God.

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

And it shall be to them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and no possession shall be given them among the children of Israel; for 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.

And these shall eat the meat-offerings, and the sin-offerings, and the trespass-offerings; and every special offering 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-fruits of all things, and the first-born of all [animals] and all offerings, of all your first-fruits there shall be [a share] for the priests; and ye shall give your earliest produce to the priest, to bring your blessings upon your houses.

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

And the priests shall eat no bird or beast that dies of itself, or is taken of wild beasts.