Ezekiel 44:10-31

Ezekiel 44:10-31

[10] And the Levites  that are gone away far  from me, when Israel  went astray,  from me after  their idols;  they shall even bear  their iniquity.  [11] Yet they shall be ministers  in my sanctuary,  having charge  at the gates  of the house,  and ministering  to the house:  they shall slay  the burnt offering  and the sacrifice  for the people,  and they shall stand  before  them to minister  [12] Because they ministered  unto them before  their idols,  and caused the house  of Israel  to fall  into iniquity;  therefore have I lifted up  mine hand  against them, saith  the Lord  GOD,  and they shall bear  their iniquity.  [13] And they shall not come near  unto me, to do the office of a priest  unto me, nor to come near  to any of my holy things,  place: but they shall bear  their shame,  and their abominations  which they have committed.  [14] But I will make  them keepers  of the charge  of the house,  for all the service  thereof, and for all that shall be done  therein. [15] But the priests  the Levites,  the sons  of Zadok,  that kept  the charge  of my sanctuary  when the children  of Israel  went astray  from me, they shall come near  to me to minister  unto me, and they shall stand  before  me to offer  unto me the fat  and the blood,  saith  the Lord  GOD:  [16] They shall enter  into my sanctuary,  and they shall come near  to my table,  to minister  unto me, and they shall keep  my charge.  [17] And it shall come to pass, that when they enter  in at the gates  of the inner  court,  they shall be clothed  with linen  garments;  and no wool  shall come  upon them, whiles they minister  in the gates  of the inner  court,  and within.  [18] They shall have linen  bonnets  upon their heads,  and shall have linen  breeches  upon their loins;  they shall not gird  themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.  [19] And when they go forth  into the utter  court,  even into the utter  court  to the people,  they shall put off  their garments  wherein they ministered,  and lay  them in the holy  chambers,  and they shall put  on other  garments;  and they shall not sanctify  the people  with their garments.  [20] Neither shall they shave  their heads,  nor suffer their locks  to grow long;  they shall only  their heads.  [21] Neither shall any priest  drink  wine,  when they enter  into the inner  court.  [22] Neither shall they take  for their wives  a widow,  nor her that is put away:  but they shall take  maidens  of the seed  of the house  of Israel,  or a widow  that had a priest  before. [23] And they shall teach  my people  the difference between the holy  and profane,  and cause them to discern  between the unclean  and the clean.  [24] And in controversy  they shall stand  in judgment;  it according to my judgments:  and they shall keep  my laws  and my statutes  in all mine assemblies;  and they shall hallow  my sabbaths.  [25] And they shall come  at no dead  person  to defile  themselves: but for father,  or for mother,  or for son,  or for daughter,  for brother,  or for sister  that hath had no husband,  they may defile  [26] And after  he is cleansed,  they shall reckon  unto him seven  days.  [27] And in the day  that he goeth  into the sanctuary,  unto the inner  court,  to minister  in the sanctuary,  he shall offer  his sin offering,  saith  the Lord  GOD.  [28] And it shall be unto them for an inheritance:  and ye shall give  them no possession  in Israel:  I am their possession.  [29] They shall eat  the meat offering,  and the sin offering,  and the trespass offering;  and every dedicated thing  in Israel  shall be theirs. [30] And the first  of all the firstfruits  of all things, and every oblation  shall be the priest's:  ye shall also give  unto the priest  the first  of your dough,  that he may cause the blessing  to rest  in thine house.  [31] The priests  shall not eat  of any thing that is dead of itself,  or torn,  whether it be fowl  or beast.