Hesekiel 44

1 Afei, ɔbarima no sane de me baa kronkronbea no abɔntenpono no a ɛkyerɛ apueeɛ fam no ano, na wɔato mu.

Then he brought me back toward the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looked toward the east, —but, it was shut.

2 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ ɛpono a wɔato mu yi tena hɔ saa ara. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbue. Obiara mmfa hɔ nhyɛne mu. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbue, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn afa hɔ ahyɛne mu.

Then said Yahweh unto me This gate shut, shall remain It shall not be opened And no man shall enter thereby, Because Yahweh, God of Israel, doth enter thereby, - Therefore shall it remain—shut.

3 Ɔhene no ankasa nko ara na ɔbɛtumi atena abɔntenpono no ano na wadidi wɔ Awurade anim. Ɔno na ɔtumi fa abɔntenpono no ntwonoo mu hyɛne mu, na ɔfa hɔ ara firi adi.”

The prince! as prince, he, shall sit therein, To eat food before Yahweh, — By way of the porch of the gate, shall he go in, and By way thereof, shall he come out.

4 Afei, ɔbarima no de me faa atifi fam abɔntenpono no mu de me baa asɔredan no anim. Mehwɛeɛ na mehunuu Awurade animuonyam sɛ ahyɛ Awurade asɔredan no ma, na mebutuu hɔ.

Then he brought me in by way of the north gate unto the front of the house, and I looked and lo! the glory of Yahweh, filled the house of Yahweh, — so I fell upon my face.

5 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, hwɛ adeɛ yie, tie no yie, na ma wʼani nku biribiara a mɛka akyerɛ wo a ɛfa nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛwɔ Awurade asɔredan no ho nyinaa. Ma wʼani nku asɔredan no ɛpono ne mmeaeɛ a wɔfa firi adi firi kronkronbea hɔ nyinaa.

And Yahweh said unto me, Son of man Apply thy heart And see with thine eyes And with thine ears, hear thou All that I am speaking with thee, As to all the statutes of the house of Yahweh and As to all the laws thereof, - And thou shalt apply thy heart To the entering in of the house, With all the exits of the sanctuary.

6 Ka kyerɛ Israel efie atuatefoɔ no sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade seɛ: Mo akyiwadeɛ no adɔɔso, Ao Israel efie!

So then thou shalt say unto the perverse [house] unto the house of Israel, Thus saith My Lord, Yahweh: Let it more than suffice you Out of all your abominations, O house of Israel:

7 Mo akyiwadeɛ a aka no nyinaa akyi no, mode ananafoɔ a wɔyɛ akoma mu ne honam fam momonotofoɔ aba me kronkronbea de agu mʼasɔredan ho fi, ɛberɛ a mode aduane, sradeɛ ne mogya brɛɛ me na mosɛee mʼapam.

That ye brought in the sons of the foreigner Uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, To be in my sanctuary. So that he profaned my house, - That ye brought near as my food the fat and the blood, And so they brake my covenant—Among all your abominations;

8 Sɛ mobɛyɛ mo adwuma a ɛfa mʼakronkronneɛ ho no, mo maa afoforɔ bɛhwɛɛ me kronkronbea so mmom.

Neither kept ye the charge of my holy things, - But ye did set men to be keepers of my charge in my sanctuary, for your own pleasure,

9 Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Ɔnanani a ɔyɛ akoma mu ne honam fam momonoto biara nni ɛkwan sɛ ɔhyɛne me kronkronbea hɔ. Ananafoɔ a wɔte Israelfoɔ mu mpo nni ɛkwan saa.

Thus saith My Lord, Yahweh, No son of a foreigner Uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, —of any son of a foreigner, who is in the midst of the sons of Israel.

10 “‘Lewifoɔ a wɔfirii me nkyɛn kɔɔ akyirikyiri ɛberɛ a Israel fom ɛkwan ne wɔn a wɔtwee wɔn ho firii me ho kɔdii wɔn ahoni akyi no, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn bɔne so asodie bɛda wɔn so.

But as for the Levites. Who went far from me, when Israel went astray. Who went astray from me, after their manufactured gods, Therefore shall they bear their iniquity,

11 Wɔbɛtumi asom wɔ me kronkronbea hɔ ɛberɛ a wɔhwɛ asɔredan no apono so na wɔsom wɔ mu; wɔbɛtumi akum ɔhyeɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ na wɔabɔ afɔdeɛ ama nnipa no, na wɔagyina nnipa no anim asom wɔn.

Yet shall they remain in my sanctuary As attendants in charge at the gates of the house, — And attending upon the house, — They shall slay the ascending-offering, and the sacrifice of the people, And they, shall stand before them to wait upon them.

12 Nanso, ɛsiane sɛ wɔsomm wɔn wɔ wɔn ahoni no mu na wɔmaa Israel efie kɔɔ bɔne mu enti, mama me nsa so aka ntam sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn bɔne so asodie bɛda wɔn so. Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie

Because they used to wait upon them before their manufactured gods, and became to the house of Israel a stumbling-block of iniquity, For this cause have I lifted up my hand concerning them Declareth My Lord Yahweh, and they shall bear their iniquity;

13 Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɛn me sɛ wɔrebɛsom me sɛ asɔfoɔ anaasɛ wɔbɛn mʼakronkronneɛ mu biara anaa mʼafɔrebɔdeɛ kronkron; ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn akyiwadeɛ ahodoɔ ho aniwuo ka wɔn.

So then they shall not come near unto me To minister as priests unto me, Nor come near unto any of my holy things, As regardeth things most holy, — But they shall bear their rebuke, and their abominations which they have committed;

14 Nanso mede asɔredan no mu dwumadie bɛhyɛ wɔn nsa. Wɔbɛyɛ ɛho som biara wɔ mu.

Yet will I make them keepers of the charge of the house, — As to all the labour thereof, and As to all which shall be done therein.

15 “‘Na mmom asɔfoɔ a wɔyɛ Lewifoɔ ne Sadok asefoɔ a wɔyɛɛ adwuma nokorɛm wɔ me kronkronbea ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ fom ɛkwan no bɛtumi abɛn me na wɔasom wɔ mʼanim; ɛsɛ sɛ wɔgyina mʼanim na wɔbrɛ me sradeɛ ne mogya afɔrebɔdeɛ, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.

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 draw near unto me to wait upon me, And shall stand before me, to bring near unto me the fat and the blood Declareth My Lord, Yahweh:

16 Wɔn nko ara na wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan sɛ wɔhyɛne me kronkronbea hɔ; wɔn nko ara na wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan sɛ wɔtwi bɛn me ɛpono, bɛsom wɔ mʼanim na wɔyɛ me som nnwuma.

They shall enter into my sanctuary, and They shall draw near unto my table to wait upon me, - So shall they keep my charge.

17 “‘Sɛ wɔwura apono a ɛkɔ mfimfini adihɔ no mu a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ nwera ntadeɛ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ kuntu atadeɛ ɛberɛ a wɔresom wɔ apono a ɛkɔ mfimfini adihɔ hɔ anaasɛ asɔredan no mu.

And it shall be when they shall enter into the gates of the inner court, Garments of linen, shall they put on, Yea there shall come upon them no wool, when they minister in the gates of the inner court and within:

18 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ nwera abotire na wɔhyehyɛ nwera ntadeɛ wɔ wɔn ase. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔhyehyɛ biribiara a ɛbɛma wɔate fifire.

Chaplets of linen, shall be upon their head, and Breeches of linen shall be upon their loins, — They shall not gird themselves, so as to perspire,

19 Sɛ wɔkɔ mfikyire adihɔ, faako a nnipa no wɔ no a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyi ntadeɛ a wɔhyɛ de someeɛ no na wɔgya de gu adan kronkron no mu, na wɔhyehyɛ ntadeɛ foforɔ, sɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wɔmmfa wɔn dwumadie ntadeɛ no nnwira nnipa no ho.

And when they go forth into the outer court into the outer court unto the people, They shall put off their garments, wherein they do minister, and lay them in the chambers of the holy place, - And shall put on other garments, That they may not hallow the people by their garments.

20 “‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ tikwa anaasɛ wɔma wɔn tirinwi fu kuhaa, mmom ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbubu so fɛfɛɛfɛ.

And their heads, shall they not shave, Nor let the hair grow long, — They shall only poll, their heads.

21 Ɔsɔfoɔ biara nnnom bobesa ɛberɛ a wahyɛne mfimfini adihɔ hɔ.

And wine, shall no priest drink, —when they enter into the inner court.

22 Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔware akunafoɔ anaa mmaa awaregyaefoɔ. Wɔtumi ware mmaabunu a wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ asefoɔ anaa akunafoɔ a na anka wɔn kununom yɛ asɔfoɔ.

Neither widow nor divorced woman, shall they take to them to wife, — But, virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, Or a widow who shall be the widow of a priest shall they take.

23 Wɔnkyerɛkyerɛ me nkurɔfoɔ nsonsonoeɛ a ɛda adeɛ a ɛyɛ kronkron ne adeɛ a ɛyɛ kwasafo deɛ ntam, na wɔmma wɔn nhunu deɛ ɛma biribi yɛ adeɛ a ɛho nteɛ anaasɛ ɛho teɛ.

And my people, shall they instruct, between the holy and the common, — And between the unclean and the clean, shall they cause them to distinguish.

24 “‘Akasa akasa biara mu no, asɔfoɔ na wɔbɛyɛ atemmufoɔ agyina me mmaransɛm so abu atɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdi me mmara ne mʼahyɛdeɛ a ɛfa mʼafahyɛ ahodoɔ no so, na wɔyɛ me home nna kronkron.

And in a controversy, They shall stand up for justice, With my judgments, shall they judge it, And my laws and my statutes in all mine appointed assemblies, shall they observe, And my sabbaths, shall they hallow.

25 “‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɔfoɔ kɔ funu ho na ɔde gu ne ho fi; gye sɛ funu no yɛ nʼagya, ne maame, ne ba, ne nuabarima anaa ne nuabaa a ɔnwareeɛ; ne saa deɛ a, ɔtumi kɔ ho de gu ne ho fi.

And unto no dead person, shall they go in. to defile themselves, - Save that for father or for mother or for son or for daughter, for brother or for sister who hath belonged to no husband they may defile themselves.

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

Yet after he is cleansed, seven days shall they count to him.

27 Ɛda a ɔbɛkɔ kronkronbea no mfimfini adihɔ hɔ akɔsom wɔ kronkronbea hɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbɔ bɔne afɔdeɛ ma ne ho, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.

And in the day when he entereth into the sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, He shall bring near his sin-bearer, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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

So shall it become to them an inheritance, I, am their inheritance, - And possession, shall ye not give them in Israel, I am their possession.

29 Wɔbɛdi aduane afɔrebɔdeɛ, bɔne afɔrebɔdeɛ, afɔdie afɔrebɔdeɛ, na biribiara a wɔahyira so ama Awurade wɔ Israel no bɛyɛ wɔn dea.

As for the meal-offering and the sin-bearer and the guilt-bearer, they shall eat them, —And everything devoted in Israel to them, shall belong.

30 Mo nnuaba a ɛdi ɛkan no mu deɛ ɛdi mu ne mo akyɛdeɛ sononko no nyinaa bɛyɛ asɔfoɔ no dea. Ɛsɛ sɛ mode mo mmɔre a ɛdi ɛkan no ma wɔn na nhyira atena mo afie mu.

And the first of all the firstfruits of everything, and every heave-offering of everything, from among all your heave-offerings to the priests, shall it belong, — The first of your meal, shall ye give to the priest, To cause a blessing to rest upon by house.

31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ asɔfoɔ no we aboa biara a wawu nam, sɛ ɛyɛ anomaa anaa wiram aboa biara.’”

Nothing that died of itself or was torn in pieces, of bird or of beast shall be eaten by the priests.