4Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked, and the glory of the Lord filled his temple.44:4 Is 6:3; Ezk 3:23; 43:5 And I fell facedown.44:4 Ezk 1:28; 43:3

5The Lord said to me, “Son of man, pay attention;44:5 Dt 32:46; Ezk 40:4 look with your eyes and listen with your ears to everything I tell you about all the statutes and laws of the Lord’s temple.44:5 Dt 12:32; Ezk 43:10–11 Take careful note of the entrance of the temple along with all the exits of the sanctuary.

9“This is what the Lord God says: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, may enter my sanctuary, not even a foreigner who is among the Israelites.

10Surely the Levites who wandered away from me when Israel went astray, and who strayed from me after their idols,44:10 2Kg 23:8–9 will bear the consequences of their iniquity.44:10 Nm 18:23

11Yet they will occupy my sanctuary, serving as guards at the temple gates44:11 1Ch 26:1–19 and ministering at the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings44:11 2Ch 29:34; 30:17 and other sacrifices for the people and will stand before them to serve them.44:11 Nm 16:9

12Because they ministered to the house of Israel before their idols and became a sinful stumbling block to them, therefore I swore an oath44:12 Lit I lifted my hand against them”44:12 Ps 106:26 — this is the declaration of the Lord God — “that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity.

13They must not approach me to serve me as priests44:13 2Kg 23:9 or come near any of my holy things or the most holy things. They will bear their disgrace and the consequences of the detestable acts they committed.

14Yet I will make them responsible for the duties of the temple44:14 Nm 18:4; 1Ch 23:28–32 — for all its work and everything done in it.

20“They may not shave their heads44:20 Lv 21:5 or let their hair grow long,44:20 Nm 6:5 but are to carefully trim their hair.

21No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.44:21 Lv 10:9

22He is not to marry a widow or a divorced woman, but may marry only a virgin from the offspring of the house of Israel,44:22 Lv 21:7,13–14 or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

23They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and explain to them the difference between the clean and the unclean.44:23 Lv 10:10; Ezk 22:26

24“In a dispute, they will officiate as judges and decide the case according to my ordinances.44:24 Dt 17:8–9; 2Ch 19:8 They are to observe my laws and statutes regarding all my appointed festivals, and keep my Sabbaths holy.44:24 Ezk 20:20; 22:26

25A priest may not come near a dead person so that he becomes defiled.44:25 Lv 21:1–4 However, he may defile himself for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister.

26After he is cleansed, he is to count off seven days for himself.44:26 Nm 19:11–19

27On the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court44:27 Lv 5:3,6 to minister in the sanctuary, he is to present his sin offering.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

28“This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance.44:28 Nm 18:20; Dt 18:2; Jos 13:33 You are to give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.

29They will eat the grain offering, the sin offering,44:29 Nm 18:9,14; Jos 13:14 and the guilt offering. Everything in Israel that is permanently dedicated to the Lord will belong to them.44:29 Lv 27:21,28

30The best of all the firstfruits of every kind and contribution of every kind from all your gifts will belong to the priests.44:30 Nm 18:8–13; Neh 10:35–37 You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest44:30 Nm 15:20–21 so that a blessing may rest on your homes.44:30 Mal 3:10

31The priests may not eat any bird or animal that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts.44:31 Lv 22:8