Hesekiel 44

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

And he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary which looked toward the east: and it was locked.

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 remain locked, 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 shall it remain locked.

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 prince, being the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord: by the way of the porch of that gate shall he enter, and by the way of the same shall he go out.

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 by 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, direct thy mind, and see with thy eyes, and hear with thy ears all that I am speaking with thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and of all its laws; and direct thy mind to the entrance of the house, with every place of egress 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, to the house of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Ye have done enough with all your abominations, 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.

In your having brought the sons of the stranger, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, while you were offering my food, the fat and the blood: so that they broke 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 [because] ye have not kept the charge of my holy things; but ye have set [those unworthy ones] as keepers of my charge in my sanctuary at your own pleasure.

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 hath said the Lord Eternal, No son of the stranger, uncircumcised in heart, or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of all the sons of the stranger that are in the midst of 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.

But as respecteth the Levites that were gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray away from me, after their idols, they shall surely 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.

And they shall be in my sanctuary, servants, appointed to watch at the gates of the house, and to be servants for the house: these are they that shall slay the burnt-offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they shall stand before them to do the service for 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 that they used to serve them before their idols, and have been unto the house of Israel as a stumbling-block of iniquity; therefore have I lifted up my hand against them, saith the Lord Eternal, 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 officiate as priests unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, to the most holy things; but they shall bear their shame, yea, for their abominations which they have committed.

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

And I will appoint them to be 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, —these are they that shall come near unto me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord Eternal:

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 are they that shall enter into my sanctuary, and these 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 clothe themselves with linen garments; and there shall no wool come upon them, when they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within the house.

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

Linen bonnets shall be upon their heads, and linen breeches shall be 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 outer court, into the outer court to the people: then shall they put off their garments wherein they have ministered, and they shall lay them down in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, and they shall not mingle among the people with their garments.

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

And their heads shall they not shave close, nor suffer their hair to grow long: they shall only crop [the hair of] their heads.

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

And wine shall none of the priests drink 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.

And a widow, or one that is divorced from her husband shall they not take to themselves as wives; but only virgins of the seed of the house of Israel; but whatever widow it may be, the [common] priests may take.

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 my people shall they teach the difference between the holy and profane, and that between the unclean and the clean shall they make known unto them.

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 shall they stand up to judge, according to my ordinances shall they decide it: and my laws and my statutes at all my festivals shall they observe, and my sabbaths shall they sanctify.

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 to a dead person shall they not come to defile themselves; but on father, or on mother, or on son, or on daughter, on brother, or on sister that hath had no husband, may they defile themselves.

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

And after he is become clean, —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.

Then shall he on the day that he cometh into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, offer his sin-offering, saith the Lord Eternal.

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 as an inheritance, I am their inheritance: and any possession shall you not give them 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.

The meat-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering—these shall they eat; and every devoted thing in Israel shall belong to them.

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 kinds of first-fruits of all, and every kind of heave-offering of every thing of all your heave-offerings, shall belong to the priests; and the first of your dough shall you give to the priest, 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.’”

Any thing that hath died of itself, or that is torn, whether it be fowl or beast, shall the priests not eat.