1
Kisha akanirudisha kwa njia ya lango lile la nje, la mahali patakatifu
The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut.
2
Bwana akaniambia, Lango hili litafungwa, halitafunguliwa, wala mtu awaye yote
And the LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut.
3
Na mkuu, yeye ndiye atakayeketi ndani yake ale chakula mbele za Bwana; ataingia
Only the prince himself may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He must enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”
4
Kisha akanileta, kwa njia ya lango la upande wa kaskazini, mbele ya nyumba;
Then the man brought me to the front of the temple by way of the north gate. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling His temple, and I fell facedown.
5
Bwana akaniambia, Mwanadamu, weka moyoni mwako, ukatazame kwa macho yako,
The LORD said to me: “Son of man, pay attention; look carefully with your eyes and listen closely with your ears to everything I tell you concerning all the statutes and laws of the house of the LORD. Take careful note of the entrance to the temple, along with all the exits of the sanctuary.
6
Nawe utawaambia waasi, yaani nyumba ya Israeli, Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Enyi
Tell the rebellious house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I have had enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel.
7
kuwa mmewaingiza wageni, ambao mioyo yao haikutahiriwa, wala miili yao
In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant.
8
Wala hamkuvilinda vitu vyangu vitakatifu bali mmejiwekea walinzi wa kawaida
And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’
9
Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Hapana mgeni, ambaye moyo wake haukutahiriwa, wala mwili
This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.
10
Lakini Walawi waliofarakana nami, hapo Waisraeli walipopotea, waliopotea na
Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity.
11
Hata hivyo watakuwa wahudumu katika patakatifu pangu, wakiwa wasimamizi wa
Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them.
12
Kwa sababu waliwahudumia mbele ya vinyago vyao, wakawa kwazo la uovu kwa nyumba
Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD.
13
Wala hawatanikaribia, kunihudumia katika kazi ya ukuhani, wala hawatakaribia
They must not approach Me to serve Me as priests or come near any of My holy things or the most holy things. They will bear the shame of the abominations they have committed.
14
Lakini nitawafanya kuwa walinzi katika ulinzi wa nyumba, kwa huduma yake yote,
Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it.
15
Lakini makuhani Walawi, wana wa Sadoki, waliolinda ulinzi wa patakatifu pangu,
But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD.
16
wataingia patakatifu pangu, nao wataikaribia meza yangu, ili kunihudumia, nao
They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge.
17
Itakuwa, hapo watakapoingia kwa malango ya ua wa ndani, watavikwa mavazi ya
When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they must not wear anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple.
18
Watakuwa na vilemba vya kitani juu ya vichwa vyao, nao watakuwa na suruali za
They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.
19
Nao watakapotoka kuingia ua wa nje, yaani, ua wa nje wa watu, ndipo
When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
20
Hawatanyoa vichwa vyao, wala hawataacha nywele zao kuwa ndefu sana;
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
21
Wala kuhani awaye yote hatakunywa mvinyo, aingiapo katika ua wa ndani.
No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.
22
Wala hawataoa wanawake wajane, wala mwanamke aliyeachwa na mume wake; lakini
And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest.
23
Nao watawafundisha watu wangu tofauti iliyopo kati ya vitu vitakatifu na vitu
They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
24
Na katika mashindano watasimama ili kuamua; wataamua sawasawa na hukumu zangu;
In any dispute, they shall officiate as judges and judge according to My ordinances. They must keep My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed feasts, and they must keep My Sabbaths holy.
25
Wala hawatakaribia maiti na kujitia unajisi; ila kwa ajili ya baba, au mama, au
A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so,
26
Naye akiisha kutakaswa watamhesabia siku saba.
and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.
27
Na katika siku atakayoingia ndani ya patakatifu, katika ua wa ndani, ili
And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD.
28
Nao watakuwa na urithi; mimi ni urithi wao; wala hamtawapa milki iwayo yote
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
29
Wataila sadaka ya unga, na sadaka ya dhambi, na sadaka ya hatia, na kila kitu
They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.
30
Na kitu cha kwanza cha malimbuko yote ya vitu vyote, na kila toleo la kila kitu
The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes.
31
Makuhani hawatakula nyamafu, au iliyoraruliwa, ikiwa ya ndege au ya mnyama.
The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.