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 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 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.
The LORD said to me, “This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened, no man shall enter in by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered in by it. Therefore it shall be 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.”
As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out the same way.”
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 by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and behold, the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house; so I fell on 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.
The LORD said to me, “Son of man, mark well, and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I tell you concerning all the ordinances of the LORD’s house and all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every exit of the sanctuary.
6 Ka kyerɛ Israel efie atuatefoɔ no sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade seɛ: Mo akyiwadeɛ no adɔɔso, Ao Israel efie!
You shall tell the rebellious, even the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “You house of Israel, let that be enough of all your abominations,
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.
in that you have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you 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 mʼakronkronneɛ ho no, mo maa afoforɔ bɛhwɛɛ me kronkronbea so mmom.
You have not performed the duty of my holy things; but you have set performers of my duty in my sanctuary for yourselves.”
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.
The Lord GOD says, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children 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 the Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they will 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 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, 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 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 GOD, “and they will 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.
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 will bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.
14 Nanso mede asɔredan no mu dwumadie bɛhyɛ wɔn nsa. Wɔbɛyɛ ɛho som biara wɔ mu.
Yet I will make them performers of the duty of the house, for all its service and for all that will 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 Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD.
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 come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my instruction.
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.
“‘“It will be that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments. No wool shall come on them while 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.
They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and shall have linen trousers on their waists. They shall not clothe themselves with anything that makes them sweat.
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.
When they go out 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 rooms. They shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.
20 “‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ tikwa anaasɛ wɔma wɔn tirinwi fu kuhaa, mmom ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbubu so fɛfɛɛfɛ.
“‘“They shall not shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
21 Ɔsɔfoɔ biara nnnom bobesa ɛberɛ a wahyɛne mfimfini adihɔ hɔ.
None of the priests shall drink wine 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.
They shall not take for their wives a widow, or her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.
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.
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 “‘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.
“‘“In a controversy they shall stand to judge. They shall judge it according to my ordinances. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts. They shall make my Sabbaths holy.
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.
“‘“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 wɔdwira ne ho a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwɛn nnanson.
After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.
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.
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 GOD.
28 “‘Me nko ara ne agyapadeɛ a asɔfoɔ no wɔ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ moma wɔn kyɛfa biara wɔ Israel. Mɛyɛ wɔn kyɛfa.
“‘They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession 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.
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 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.
The first of all the first fruits of every thing, and every offering of everything, of all your offerings, shall be for the priest. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.
31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ asɔfoɔ no we aboa biara a wawu nam, sɛ ɛyɛ anomaa anaa wiram aboa biara.’”
The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself or is torn, whether it is bird or animal.
