Okuhita nokupitira momuvero wokomuhuka
1 Omurumendu ngwi we ndji twara komuvero wopendje komukuma wokomuhuka kwondjuwo ya Muhona. Omuvero mbwi wa paterwe, 2 nu Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Omuvero mbwi mau kara awa patwa nu kamaau patururwa ko. Kape nomundu ngu ma yandjerwa okuhita nokupitira mu wo, orondu ami, ngu mbi ri Ndjambi wa Israel, mba hitira mu wo. Owo mau kara awa patwa. 3 Nungwari omunane ohivirikwa porwe ongu ma hitire mo okukarya ovikurya oviyapuke momurungu wandje. Eye ma hiti nokupitira momuvero wetuwo enene mbu ri komaandero womoukoto.”
Omazikamisiro wokuyandjera okuhita mondjuwo ya Muhona
4 Omurumendu we ndji tuurungisira momuvero wokeyuva kokunene ne ndji twara komurungu wondjuwo ya Muhona. Ami tji mba tara, mba muna kutja ondjuwo ya Muhona ye ura nongeṋangeṋeno ya Muhona ndji mai keṋakeṋa; nami mba wa onḓurumika, 5 nu Muhona a tja nai ku ami: “Muatje womundu, ṱakamisa oviṋa avihe, mbi mo munu na mbi mo zuu. Ami me ku raere omazikamisiro nomatwako aehe otja kondjuwo. Tjevera nawa kutja omundu uṋe ngu ma pu pokuyandjerwa okuhita nokupita mondjuwo, nokutja omundu uṋe ngu hi nakupwa.
6 “Raera ihi otjiwaṋa otjipirukire tja Israel kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, hi nokuuhara ame tarere oviṋa oviyaukise mbi tja tjita. 7 Otjo tja yamburura ondjuwo yandje mokuyandjera ovandu wozonganda mbe hi nonḓuviro ku ami kutja ve hite mondjuwo yandje, ozombunguhiro zozonḓura nozombinḓu ngunda amaze punguhirwa ami. Komuhingo mbwi otjiwaṋa tjandje otji tja teya omerikutiropamwe wandje mena rozondjito ozondjaukise azehe nḓu tja tjita. 8 Otjo katji ndji karerere mondjuwo yandje, nungwari moruveze rwanao otjo tja twa po ovandu wozonganda okundjikarera.
9 “Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, opu me tjere nai, kape nomundu wozonganda omuhasukara na ngu hi nonḓuviro ku ami ngu ma hiti mondjuwo yandje, nangarire omundu wozonganda ngwa tura mokati kOvaisrael.”
Ovalevi va tjaerwa koupristeri
10 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Ami me vere Ovalevi mba mbe ndji esa nave kakarera oomukuru vovisenginina, indu Ovaisrael tji va poka ku ami. 11 Owo mave yenene okundji karera mondjuwo yandje amave tjevere omivero vyayo namave ungura oviungura vyondjuwo. Owo mave yenene okuzepa ovinamuinyo otjiwaṋa mbi matji etere ozombunguhiro ozoningiririsiwa nozovinamuinyo, nowo otji mave karere otjiwaṋa. 12 Nungwari owo tjinga ava tjitira otjiwaṋa tja Israel omerikotameneno koomukuru vovisenginina, nu komuhingo mbwi tjinga ava pukisa otjiwaṋa, ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, otji me yana, tjiri, kutja owo va sokuverwa. 13 Kave nokundjikarera otja ovapristeri poo okuya popezu noviṋa avihe mbya yapurirwa ami poo okuhita mOtjouyapukeyapuke. Indji oyo omberero yoviṋa oviyaukise mbi va tjita. 14 Ami meve pe oviungura ngamwa avihe vyokomake mbya sokutjitwa mondjuwo ndjo.”
Ovapristeri
15 Muhona Ndjambi wa tja nai: “Ovapristeri imba vomuhoko wa Levi mbe ri ozondekurona za Sadok owo va panḓera pokundjikarera nouṱakame ondjuwo yandje, indu otjiwaṋa atjihe tja Israel tji tja poka ku ami. Owo aveyerike ombe karera ami nu ombe ya komurungu wandje okundjipunguhira ozonḓura nombinḓu yozombunguhiro. 16 Owo aveyerike ombu mave hiti mondjuwo yandje, nu ombu mave karere potjipunguhiro tjandje nokutjita omerikotameneno mondjuwo. 17 Tji mave hiti momuvero worupanda rwomoukoto rwondjuwo yandje, mave zara ozombanda zotupera otuheze. Ave zara ko ozombanda nḓa ungurwa pomainya wozonḓu, tji ve ri moviungura morupanda rwomoukoto poo mondjuwo yandje. 18 Kutja ave ha rukutura, ngave zare ozombanda zerapi nozomburukweva zerapi, nungwari ave zara ko omakwamo. 19 Ngunda ave hiya ya korupanda rwopendje ku ku notjiwaṋa, rutenga mave sokuhukura ozombanda nḓu va zarere moviungura vyondjuwo, nu ve ze ese momatuwo omayapuke. Tjazumba ngave zare ozombanda zarwe, kokutja ozombanda zawo nḓa ozondjapuke aze ha tjiti otjipo kotjiwaṋa.
20 “Ovapristeri ave rihora ko oviuru vyawo, nu ave hapisa ko ozondjise zawo okurira ozonde nungwari ngaze riwe ko kokutja aze he kuru okurira ozengi. 21 Ovapristeri kave nokusokunwa omavinu womandjembere ngunda ave hiya hita morupanda rwomoukoto. 22 Kape nomupristeri ngu ma sokukupa omuhepundu poo omukazendu ngwa haṋika morukupo; eye ma sokukupa omukazona Omuisrael uriri poo omuhepundu womupristeri omukwao.
23 “Ovapristeri ngave honge otjiwaṋa tjandje ombangu pokati koviṋa oviyapuke na imbi mbi he ri oviyapuke, na indji yopokati koviṋa ovikohoke novihakohoke. 24 Tji pa sekama ozombata, ovapristeri mave pangura otjiposa otja komatwako wandje. Owo mave tjiti omikandi otja komatwako na komazikamisiro wandje, nu mave sokuyapura Omasabata wandje.
25 “Omupristeri ke nokusokurizunḓa mokuṱuna korurova, posiya indu tji ru ri rwaumwe wovanene ve poo rwomuatje we poo rwomuangu poo rwomuṱena omukombe. 26 Eye tja zu nokukohoroka rukwao ma sokuundja oure womayuva hambombari; 27 Nu ma yenene okuhita morupanda rwomoukoto rwondjuwo yandje nokupunguha ombunguhiro yokuisapo ourunde we, kokutja a sore okundjikarera mondjuwo rukwao. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire.
28 “Ovapristeri ve noupristeri otja otjirumatwa tjawo tjaimbi mbi mba yandja ku Israel kutja tji yandjewe okuza komuhoko nga komuhoko. Owo kave nokukara nouini mOisrael; owami erike ngu mbi ri ouini wawo. 29 Ozombunguhiro zovikurya nozomauvi nozozondjo ondu maze rire ovikurya vyovapristeri; nowo mave pewa oviṋa avihe mOisrael mbya yapurirwa ami. 30 Ovapristeri mave pewa ovihape imbi oviwaviwa avihe vyovitengakuhora, noviṋa ngamwa avihe vyarwe wina, mbi mavi punguhirwa ami. Aruhe ovandu tji mave tereke ozomboroto mave sokuyandja omboroto ondenga kovapristeri, kokutja ondaya yandje i kare mozondjuwo zawo. 31 Ovapristeri kave nokusokurya onḓera poo otjipuka tji tje rikokere poo tji tja ṱu i ovipuka ovikwao.”
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.
