The East Gate Must Remain Closed
1 The man took me back to the outer courtyard, near the east gate of the temple area. I saw that the doors to this gate were closed. 2 The Lord said:
I, the Lord God of Israel, came through this gate, so it must remain closed forever! No one must ever use it. 3 The ruler of Israel may come here to eat a sacrificial meal that has been offered to me, but he must use only the entrance room of this gate.
People Who Are Not Allowed in the Temple
4 Then the man took me through the north gate to the front of the temple. I saw that the brightness of the Lord's glory had filled the temple, and I immediately bowed with my face to the ground.
5 The Lord said:
Ezekiel, son of man, I am going to give you the laws for my temple. So pay attention and listen carefully to what kind of people are allowed to come in the temple, and what kind are not. 6 Tell those rebellious people of Israel:
I, the Lord God, command you to stop your evil ways! 7 My temple has been disgraced, because you have let godless, stubborn foreigners come here when sacrifices are being offered to me. You have sinned and have broken our solemn agreement. 8 Instead of following the proper ways to worship me, you have put foreigners in charge of worship at my temple.
9 And so I, the Lord God, say that no godless foreigner who disobeys me will be allowed in my temple. This includes any foreigner living in Israel.
The Levites Are Punished
The Lord said:
10 Some of the Levites turned their backs on me and joined the other people of Israel in worshiping idols. So these Levites must be punished! 11 They will still be allowed to serve me as temple workers by guarding the gates and by killing the animals to be sacrificed and by helping the worshipers. 12 But because these Levites served the people of Israel when they worshiped idols, I, the Lord God, promise that the Levites will be punished. They did not stop the Israelites from sinning, 13 and now I will no longer let the Levites serve as my priests or come near anything sacred to me. They must suffer shame and disgrace for their disgusting sins. 14 They will be responsible for all the hard work that must be done in the temple.
Rules for Priests
The Lord said:
15 The priests of the Levi tribe who are descendants of Zadok the priest were faithful to me, even when the rest of the Israelites turned away. And so, these priests will continue to serve as my priests and to offer the fat and the blood of sacrifices. 16 They will come into my temple, where they will offer sacrifices at my altar and lead others in worship.
17 When they come to the inner courtyard, they must wear their linen priestly clothes. My priests must never wear anything made of wool when they are on duty in this courtyard or in the temple. 18 Even their turbans and underwear must be made of linen to keep my priests from sweating when they work. 19 And before they leave to join the other people in the outer courtyard, they must take off their priestly clothes, then place them in the sacred rooms and put on their regular clothes. That way, no one will touch their sacred clothes and be harmed.
20 Priests must never shave their heads when they are mourning. But they must keep their hair properly trimmed and not let it grow too long. 21 They must not drink wine before going to the inner courtyard.
22 A priest must not marry a divorced woman; he can marry only a virgin from Israel or the widow of another priest.
23 Priests must teach my people the difference between what is sacred and what is ordinary, and between what is clean and what is unclean. 24 They will make decisions in difficult legal cases, according to my own laws. They must also observe the religious festivals my Law requires and must always respect the Sabbath.
25 Touching a dead body will make a person unclean. So a priest must not go near a dead body, unless it is one of his parents or children, or his brother or unmarried sister. 26 If a priest touches a dead body, he is unclean and must go through a ceremony to make himself clean. Then seven days later, 27 he must go to the inner courtyard of the temple and offer a sacrifice for sin. After that, he may once again serve as my priest. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
28 I myself will provide for my priests, and so they won't receive any land of their own. 29 Instead, they will receive part of the grain sacrifices, as well as part of the sacrifices for sin and sacrifices to make things right. They will also be given everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me. 30 The first part of every harvest will belong to the priests. They will also receive part of all special gifts and offerings the Israelites bring to me. And whenever any of my people bake bread, they will give their first loaf as an offering to the priests, and I will bless the homes of the people when they do this.
31 Priests must not eat any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that has been killed by a wild animal.
Aiǂoasǀkhāb dao-ams di sîsenūhes
1 Ob ge ǁîba tita ge oa kai ǃauga hâ ǃanusib di dao-ams, aiǂoasǀî ǃoa hâsa-u, xawes ge ǁîsa ge ǂganamsa i. 2 Ob ge ǃKhūba tita ǃoa ge mî: “Nē dao-ams ge ǂganamhe hâse nî hâ, ǁîs ge ǁkhowa-amhe tide, tsî khoe-i ge ǁîsa-u ǂgâ tide, ǃKhūb Israeli di Elob ge ǁîsa-u ǂgâ amaga; ǁnā-amagas ge ǂganamsase nî hâ. 3 Gaosab ge, gaosab a amaga ǁîs ǃnâ nî ǂnû, pere-eb ǃKhūb di ais aiǃâ nî ǂûga; dao-ams ai-ommi dis di daoba-ub ge ǁîba nî ǂgâ tsî ǁnā daob ǁkhāba-u nî ǂoa.”
Tempeli ǃnâ ǂgâsa mā-amhes di ǁgaragu
4 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge ǁîba ǀapas dao-ams di daoba-u ommi aiǃâ ge ūsī te; tsî kō ta geo, ob ge ǂkhaisib ǃKhūb diba ǃKhūb di omma ge ǀoaǀoa; o ta ge ais âtas ai ge ǁnā. 5 Ob ge ǃKhūba tita ǃoa ge mî: “Khoenôa ǀgôatse, ǂgaob âtsa ǁî ǃkhais ai ǂnûi, îts sa mûra ǀkha mû, îts sa ǂgaera ǀkha ǁnâu, tita sats ǀkha nî ǃhoana, ǃKhūb ommi di ǂnûiǂgādi hoadi tsî ǁîb di ǂhanugu hoagu xa. Îts ǃgaoǃgâ, tari-i Tempeli ǃnâ ǂgâsa mā-amsas tsî tari-i ǁnāpa ǂgâsa mā-amsa tamasa.
6 “ǁNā mâǃoaxan Israeli ommi dina mîba: Nētib ge ǃKhūb Eloba ra mî: ǂÂu tama du kha hâ sadu di ǁgaidīgu hoagu ǀkha, sadu Israeli khoedo! 7 ǃHao khoen, ǃgaohe tamana du ge ti ǃanusib ǃnâ ge ūǂgâ, ǁîban nî ǃanuoǃnâ kaise, pereb tsî kaub tsî ǀaob tsîna du ra ǁguiba hîa. Ti ǃgaeǀhaosa du ge sadu ǁgaidīgu ǀkha ge khôao. 8 Sadu ge ti ǃanu xūna ǃûiǃgâ tama ge i, tsî du ge ǃhaokhoena ti ǃanusib di ǃûiǃgâ-aose ge mâi.
9 “Nētib ge ǃKhūb Eloba mî: ǃHao khoe-i, ǂgaob â-i ǃgaohe tama-i tsî ǁgans â-i ǃgaohe tama-i xare-i ge ti ǃanusib ǃnâ ǂgâ tide, Israeli khoen ǁaegu hâ ǃhaokhoen hoan xa.”
Leviǁîgu ge prisersisa xu ra ǁaraǂuihe
10 Ob ge ǃKhūba tita ǃoa ge mî: “Tsî Leviǁîgu, tita ge ǁnāxūgu, Israelǁîn ra ǁhapu, tsî tita xu ǁgôa-elogu âna ra ǁhapuǃgon hîa, ǁîgu ge ǁîgu di ǂhanuoǃnâsiba nî tani. 11 Xawe gu ge ǁîga ti ǃanusib ǃnâ ǃoaba-aose nî i; ǁîgu ge ommi di dao-amdi tawa nî ǃoaba, tsî gu ge ommi ǃnâ nî ǃoaba; ǁîgu ge khauǁguibas tsî ǂāǁguibas tsîra ǁaesa nî ǂāba tsî ais ân aiǃâ nî mâ, ǁîna gu nî ǃoabase. 12 ǁÎna gu ǁgôa-elogu ân di ais aiǃâ gere ǃoaba, tsî Israeli ommi dina gu ge ǂhanuoǃnâsib di ǁgonǁgonǂgaose ība amaga ta ge ti ǃomma ǁîgu ǃoagu ge ūkhâi, o gu ge ǂhanuoǃnâsib âga nî tani,
tib ge ǃKhūb Eloba ra mî.13 “O gu ge tita ǀgū tide, pristersisa gu tita nî ǃoabase, tsî hoan xa ǃanu xūna gu nî ǀgūse, tsî gu ge taob âga nî tani tsî ǁîgu di ǁgaidīgu, dī gu ge gu tsîna. 14 ǁNā-amaga ta ge tita ǁîga ti ommi di ǃûiǃgâ-aose nî mâi ǁîb di ǃoabas hoas tawa, ǁîb ǃnâ nî dīhesa a anu xūn hoan tawa.”
Pristergu
15 “Tsî Leviǁî pristergu, Sadoki ôagu, ǃûis ti ǃanusib disa gere dīgu, Israeli khoen tita xu ra ǁhapu hîa, ǁîgu ge tita nî ǀgū, tita gu nî ǃoabase, tsî gu ge ti ais aiǃâ nî mâ, tita gu kaub tsî ǀaob tsîkha nî ǁguibase,”
tib ge ǃKhūb Eloba ra mî.16 “ǁÎgu ge ti ǃanusib ǃnâ nî ǂgâ, tsî ǁîgu ge ti tāb tawa nî hā ǃoaba nîse, tsî gu ge ti soas ǃnâ nî ǃûi. 17 Tsî i ge nî ī, dao-amdi, ǂganagab ǃnâ hâ ai-ommi didi ǃnâ gu ga ǂgâ, o gu ǃuri linesarana nî ana ǃkhaisa, xawe gūǀûn ge ǁîgu ai hâ tide, ǂganagab ǃnâ hâ ai-ommi di dao-amdi ǃnâ tsî ommi ǃnâ gu ga ǃoaba ǁaeb ai. 18 ǃUri ǀgapadi ge danas âgu ai nî hâ, tsî ǃuri linesarana kamanagu âgu ai, tsî gu ge aosen kai nî xū-e ǃgaesen tide. 19 Tsî ǃauga hâ ai-ommi ǃoa gu ga ǁaes ǃoa ǂoao, o gu ge ǁnā saran, ǁîn ǃnâ gu gere ǃoabana nî ǁhû tsî ǁîna ǃanu ǃnā-omdi ǃnâ sī nî ǁgui, tsî gu ge ǀkhara sarana nî ana, ǁaesa gu khai tidese ǁîgu di saran ǀkha.
20 “Tsî gu ge ǁîgu di danade ǂkhomǃgoraǃgora tide, anu i a khami gu ge danadi âga nî ǂkhom. 21 ǁKhātib ge pristeri xareba ǂauxûiba ā tide, ǃnāb ǃnâ hâ ai-ommi ǃnâ gu ga ǂgâ ǃnubai. 22 ǁKhāti gu ge ǃoataras kas, ǀgoraxūhe hâs kas hoasa tarase ūbasen tide, xawe gu ge ǂkhamkhoede nî ūbasen, Israeli khoen di suriba xu, tamas ka io ǃoataras pristeri di ǃoatara ge isa.
23 “Tsî gu ge ti ǁaesa ǀgorasa nî ǁkhāǁkhā, ǃanusib tsî ǃanuoǃnâsib tsîkha ǁaegu, tsî ǁîna nî ǂanǂan, mâ ǀgoras ǃanuoǃnâb tsî ǃanusib tsîkha ǁaegu hâ ǃkhaisa. 24 Tsî gu ge ǂnoaguǃkhai-i ga hâ, o ǁî-e ti ǂhanugu ǃoa nî ǀgoraǃgâ; tsî gu ge ti ǂhanugu tsî ti ǂnûiǂgādi tsîna ǂnûihe hā ǀgapi ǁaegu âtagu ai nî ǃkhōǀgaipe tsî ti sâtsēde nî khai.
25 “ǁKhātib ge ǁîgu di ǀguib xareba ǁō hâ khoe-i tawa ǀgū tide, îb tā ǃanuoǃnâ, xawe ǁgûb kas, ǁgûs kas, ǀgôas kas, ǃgâsab kas, ǃgame tama ge hâ i ǃgâsas kas, ǃaroma gu ge a ǃanuoǃnâ kaisen ǁkhā. 26 Tsî ǃanuǃanusens âb khaoǃgâb ge ǁîba hû tsēde nî ǃâu. 27 Tsî ǃanusib ǃnâb ga ǂgâ tsēs ai ǃnāb ǃnâ hâ ai-ommi, hoan xa ǃanu ǃkhais ǃnâb nî ǃoabase, ob ge ǁoreǁguibas âba nî ǁguiba,
tib ge ǃKhūb Eloba ra mî.28 “Tsî nēs ge ǁîga ǀumise nî ība: Tita ge ǁîgu di ǀumi ta. ǁNā-amaga du ge ǁîga ūhâxū-e māhe tide Israeli ǃnâ; tita ge a ǁîgu di ūhâxū. 29 ǂÛǁguibas tsî ǁoreǁguibas tsî ǀhapiǁguibas tsîde gu ge ǁîga nî ǂû, ǁkhātin ge Israeli ǃnâ khaihe hân hoana nî ǁîgu di. 30 Tsî ǂgurosan, ǂguro ǂûn hoan din tsî ǃkhōkhâiǁguibas xūn hoan dis tsî sadu di ǃkhōkhâiǁguibadi hoadi tsîn ge nî pristergu di. ǁKhāti du ge ǂgurosan sadu tsampereb dina pristerga nî mā, ǀkhaeb sadu omdi ai nî hâga. 31 ǁŌ hâ xū-i kas, ǀkhauǃāhe hâ ani-i kas, ǀgoa-i kas hoasab ge pristera ǂû tide.”
