Omweelo gwokuuzilo
1 Omulumentu okwa fala ndje komweelo gwopondje kombinga yokuuzilo wehala lyotempeli. Omweelo ogwa li gwa patwa, 2 Omuwa nokwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Omweelo nguka otagu kala gwa patwa noitagu egululwa nando. Kape na omuntu ta ziminwa e gu egulule, oshoka ongame, Omuwa Kalunga kaIsrael, nda pitile mo. Otagu kala gwa patwa. 3 Omuleli ota vulu okuya ko, a ka lye uulalelo uuyapuki koshipala shandje. Oku na okuya mo nokuza mo te ende mela enene kombinga yomeni.”
Omautho gepitikilo okuya motempeli
4 Omulumentu okwa pititha ndje mosheelo shokuumbangalantu sigo okomeho gotempeli. Sho nda tala, onda mono kutya otempeli yOmuwa oya li yu udha eadhimo lye. Ondi iyumbile pevi nda tsa oshipala pevi. 5 Omuwa nokwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Muna gwomuntu, ndhindhilika ashihe shoka to tala noto uvu. Otandi ke ku lombwela omautho noompango dhotempeli. Ndhindhilika nawa, oolye mboka taa ziminwa okuya mo nokuza mo motempeli, noolye mboka itaa ziminwa.
6 “Lombwela Aaisraeli mboka aatangalali kutya ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, itandi ki idhidhimikila we iinima iinyanyalithi mbyoka ya ningi. 7 Oya nyateke otempeli yandje, sho ya pitikile mo aafukolume aakwiilongo, aantu mboka ihaa vulika kungame, ya yi motempeli, uuna oofu nombinzi yiinamwenyondjambo tayi yambelwa ndje. Aantu yandje oya teya ehangano lyandje molwiinima iinyanyalithi ye yi ningi. 8 Inaa tonatela nando omisindilo omiyapuki motempeli yandje, ihe oya tula po aakwiilongo ye dhi tonatele.
9 “Ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi fatulula kutya kape na omukwiilongo omufukolume, ngoka ihaa vulika kungame, te ya motempeli yandje, nando na kale mokati kAaisraeli.”
Aalevi taa kuthwa uuyambi
10 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Otandi geele Aalevi ayehe mboka yi iteka ndje pamwe nAaisraeli noya simaneke iimenka. 11 Oye na ompito okulongela ndje motempeli taa tonatele omiyelo notaa tsakanitha iilonga yotempeli. Naa dhipagele aantu iimuna mbyoka taye yi eta omolwomafikilondjambo noontselelandjambo, noye ya yakule. 12 Ihe molwaashoka ya simaneke iimenka noya pukitha Aaisraeli, ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi uvaneke nokugana kutya oye na okugeelwa. 13 Kaye na okulongela ndje muuyambi nenge ya ka hedhe kusha shoka sha yapulilwa ndje, nenge ya hite mEhala lyUuyapukielela. Ndika olyo egeelo molwiinima iinyanyalithi ye yi ningi. 14 Otandi gandja kuyo iilonga yeyakulo mbyoka tayi pumbiwa motempeli.”
Aayambi
15 Omuwa Omupangeliawike okwa ti: “Mezimo lyaLevi oluvalo lwaSadok aluke olwa tsikile okuyakula nuudhiginini motempeli, nando Aaisraeli oya pilamene ndje. Onkee oyo ayeke mboka ye na okulongela ndje nokuholoka koshipala shandje ya yambele ndje oofu nombinzi yiinamwenyondjambo. 16 Oyo ayeke taa yi motempeli yandje, taa yakula koshiyambelo shandje notaa wilike elongelokalunga motempeli. 17 Uuna taa yi mosheelo shehale lyaayambi, oye na okuzala oonguwo dholiina. Inaa zala oonguwo dhomafufu goonzi, uuna ye li miilonga kehale lyaayambi nenge motempeli. 18 Opo yaa pushe omazigudhe, oye na okuzala etsilu lyoliina nombulukweya yoliina, ihe hakwamo nando. 19 Manga inaa pita mo ya ye kehale enene, nkoka ku na aantu, naa hule mo tango oonguwo ya li ye dhi zala, sho ya li meyakulo motempeli, e taye dhi thigi moondjugo oondjapuki. Oye na okuzala oonguwo dhilwe, opo oonguwo dhawo oondjapuki dhaa etele aantu omupya.
20 “Aayambi inaa kululitha omitse dhawo nenge ya ethe omafufu gawo ga ninge omaleeleka. Naga kale haga fugulwa. 21 Aayambi inaa nwa nando omaviinu, nge taa yi kehale lyaayambi. 22 Kape na omuyambi ta hokana omukulukadhi a hengwa; oku na ashike okuhokana omukadhona Omuisraeli nenge omuselekadhi a silwa omuyambi.
23 “Aayambi oye na okunongeka aantu yandje eyooloko pokati kaambyoka iiyapuki naambyoka yaa shi iiyapuki, pokati kaambyoka ya yogoka pamisindilo naambyoka inaayi yogoka pamisindilo. 24 Uuna oontamanana dha ziminwa tadhi tukuka, aayambi oye na okutokola pamukalo gwompango. Oye na okudhiginina iituthi yomalongelokalunga pamautho noompango dhandje, noye na okuyapula Esabati.
25 “Omuyambi ina inyateka pamisindilo a gume omudhimba, ngele kagu shi gwahe nenge gwayina, gwomwanamati nenge gwomwanakadhona, gwomumwayinamati nenge gwomumwayinakadhona. 26 Ngele i iyogo a ningi omuyelele, oku na okutegelela omasiku gaheyali, 27 nota yi ihe kehale lyaayambi motempeli, a yambele eiyelitho lye eyonondjambo, opo a wape okuyakula ishewe motempeli. Ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, nda popi.
28 “Uuyambi owo uuthiga waayambi. Mokati kAaisraeli kaye na uuthiga ulwe. Ongame uuthiga wawo. 29 Iikulya yaayambi oyo iikulyandjambo, omayonondjambo noondjondjambo, noye na okutaamba muIsrael ashihe shoka sha yoololelwa ndje. 30 Aayambi oye na okupewa iilya yoshipe iiwanawa naayihe mbyoka tayi yambelwa ndje. Ethimbo kehe aantu taa ningi iikwiila, oye na okupa aayambi ondjambo yoshipambu shotango, eyambeko lyandje notali ka kala maandjawo. 31 Aayambi inaa lya ondhila nenge oshimuna shi isila nenge sha lika koshilikama.”
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.