Ezekieli 44
1 Ndipo yule mtu akanirudisha mpaka kwenye lango la nje la mahali Patakatifu, lile linaloelekea upande wa mashariki, nalo lilikuwa limefungwa.
Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outer sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
2 Bwana akaniambia, “Lango hili litabaki limefungwa. Haliruhusiwi kufunguliwa, wala hakuna mtu yeyote anayeruhusiwa kuingilia kwenye lango hili. Litabaki limefungwa kwa sababu Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ameingia kwa kupitia lango hili.
Then said the LORD to me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.
3 Yeye aliye mkuu peke yake ndiye anayeweza kukaa penye njia ya hilo lango na kula chakula mbele za Bwana. Itampasa aingie kwa njia hiyo ya lango la ukumbini na kutokea njia iyo hiyo.”
It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
4 Kisha yule mtu akanileta kwa njia ya lango la kaskazini mpaka mbele ya Hekalu. Nikatazama nami nikauona utukufu wa Bwana ukilijaza Hekalu la Bwana, nami nikaanguka kifudifudi.
Then he brought me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.
5 Bwana akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, angalia kwa uangalifu, usikilize kwa bidii na uzingatie kila kitu ninachokuambia kuhusu masharti yote yanayohusu Hekalu la Bwana. Uwe mwangalifu kuhusu wale wanaoruhusiwa hekaluni na wale wasioruhusiwa kuingia mahali patakatifu.
And the LORD said to me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thy eyes, and hear with thy ears all that I say to thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every exit from the sanctuary.
6 Iambie nyumba ya kuasi ya Israeli, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Matendo yenu ya machukizo yatosha, ee nyumba ya Israeli!
And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,
7 Zaidi ya matendo yenu yote ya machukizo, mmewaleta wageni wasiotahiriwa mioyo na miili katika patakatifu pangu, mkilinajisi Hekalu langu, huku mkinitolea chakula, mafuta ya wanyama na damu, nanyi mmevunja Agano langu.
In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.
8 Badala ya kutimiza wajibu wenu kuhusiana na vitu vyangu vitakatifu, mmeweka watu wengine kuwa viongozi katika patakatifu pangu.
And ye have not kept the charge of my holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.
9 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Hakuna mgeni asiyetahiriwa moyo na mwilini anayeruhusiwa kuingia patakatifu pangu, wala hata wageni wanaoishi miongoni mwa Waisraeli.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
10 “‘Walawi walioniacha wakati Waisraeli walipopotoka wakatoka kwangu na kutangatanga kwa kufuata sanamu zao, watachukua adhabu ya dhambi zao.
And the Levites that have gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.
11 Wanaweza wakatumika katika mahali patakatifu pangu, wakiwa na uangalizi wa malango ya Hekalu, nao watachinja sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu kwa ajili ya watu na kusimama mbele ya watu ili kuwahudumia.
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 to them.
12 Lakini kwa sababu waliwatumikia watu mbele ya sanamu zao na kuifanya nyumba ya Israeli ianguke kwenye dhambi, kwa hiyo nimeapa kwa mkono ulioinuliwa kwamba ni lazima wachukue matokeo ya dhambi yao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
Because they ministered to them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up my hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.
13 Hawaruhusiwi kukaribia ili kunitumikia kama makuhani wala kukaribia chochote changu kilicho kitakatifu au sadaka iliyo takatifu kupita zote, bali watachukua aibu ya matendo yao ya kuchukiza.
And they shall not come near to me, to do the office of a priest to me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.
14 Lakini nitawaweka katika uangalizi wa Hekalu na kazi zote zile zinazotakiwa kufanyika ndani yake.
But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all its service, and for all that shall be done in it.
15 “‘Lakini makuhani, ambao ni Walawi na wazao wa Sadoki, ambao walitimiza wajibu wao kwa uaminifu katika patakatifu pangu wakati Waisraeli walipopotoka, watakaribia ili kutumika mbele zangu. Itawapasa wasimame mbele zangu ili kutoa dhabihu za mafuta ya wanyama na damu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
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 to me, and they shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:
16 Wao peke yao ndio wenye ruhusa ya kuingia mahali patakatifu pangu. Wao peke yao ndio watakaokaribia meza yangu ili kuhudumu mbele zangu na kufanya utumishi wangu.
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.
17 “‘Watakapoingia kwenye malango ya ukumbi wa ndani, watavaa nguo za kitani safi, hawaruhusiwi kamwe kuvaa mavazi ya sufu wakati wanapokuwa wakihudumu kwenye malango ya ukumbi wa ndani wala ndani ya Hekalu.
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, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
18 Watavaa vilemba vya kitani safi vichwani mwao na nguo za ndani za kitani safi viunoni mwao. Hawatavaa chochote kitakachowafanya kutoa jasho.
They shall have linen headdresses upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.
19 Watakapotoka ili kuingia katika ukumbi wa nje mahali watu walipo, watavua nguo walizokuwa wakihudumu nazo na wataziacha katika vyumba vitakatifu nao watavaa nguo nyingine, ili kwamba wasije wakaambukiza watu utakatifu kwa njia ya mavazi yao.
And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which 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 “‘Hawatanyoa nywele za vichwa vyao wala kuziacha ziwe ndefu, bali watazipunguza.
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut the hair of their heads.
21 Kuhani yeyote asinywe mvinyo aingiapo katika ukumbi wa ndani.
Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
22 Wasioe wanawake wajane wala walioachika, inawapasa kuoa wanawake bikira wenye heshima wa Israeli au wajane wa makuhani.
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 Watawafundisha watu wangu tofauti kati ya vitu vitakatifu na vitu vya kawaida na kuwaonyesha jinsi ya kupambanua kati ya vitu najisi na vitu safi.
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 “‘Katika magombano yoyote, makuhani watatumika kama mahakimu na kuamua hilo jambo kufuatana na sheria zangu. Watazishika sheria zangu na maagizo yangu katika sikukuu zangu zote zilizoamriwa, nao watatakasa Sabato zangu.
And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
25 “‘Kuhani asijitie unajisi kwa kukaribia maiti, lakini, kama mtu aliyekufa alikuwa baba yake au mama yake, mwana au binti yake, ndugu yake au dada ambaye hajaolewa, basi aweza kujitia unajisi kwa hao.
And they shall come near 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 themselves.
26 Baada ya kujitakasa, atakaa hali hiyo kwa muda wa siku saba.
And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.
27 Siku atakapoingia katika ukumbi wa ndani wa mahali patakatifu ili kuhudumu, atatoa sadaka ya dhambi kwa ajili yake mwenyewe, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, to the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.
28 “‘Mimi nitakuwa ndio urithi pekee walio nao makuhani katika Israeli. Msiwape wao milki, mimi nitakuwa milki yao.
And it shall be to them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.
29 Wao watakula sadaka za nafaka, sadaka za dhambi na sadaka za hatia na kila kitu kitakachotolewa kwa Bwana katika Israeli kitakuwa chao.
They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs.
30 Yote yaliyo bora ya malimbuko ya vitu vyote na matoleo yenu maalum vitakuwa vya makuhani. Inawapasa kuwapa malimbuko ya kwanza ya unga wenu ili kwamba baraka ipate kuwa katika nyumba zenu.
And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give to the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thy house.
31 Makuhani hawaruhusiwi kula chochote, ikiwa ni ndege au mnyama, aliyekutwa akiwa amekufa au aliyeraruliwa na wanyama pori.
The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether of fowl or beast.
