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 the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh 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.

Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath 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.”

[It is] for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of [that] 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 brought he 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 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 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 Ka kyerɛ Israelfo atuatewfo no se, ‘Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Mo akyiwadeyɛ no adɔɔso. Israelfo!

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 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 [into my sanctuary] strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, [even] my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of 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 mine 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 saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that [is] among the children 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.

And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; 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 be ministers in my sanctuary, [having] charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to 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 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 unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, 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 unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy [place: ] 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.

But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

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, 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 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 unto 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 come to pass, [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 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ nwera abotiri na wɔhyehyɛ nwera ntade wɔ wɔn ase. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyehyɛ biribiara a ɛbɛma wɔafi fifiri.

They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird [themselves] with any thing that causeth 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 utter court, [even] into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall 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 suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

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

Neither shall any priest 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 that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

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 profane, 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 controversy they shall stand in judgment; [and] they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; 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 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 Na sɛ odwira ne ho a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwɛn nnanson.

And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto 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 goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, 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 unto them for 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 meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated 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 firstfruits of all [things], and every oblation of all, of every [sort] of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine 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 any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.