Ezekiel 44 - English Standard Version (ESV)

The Gate for the Prince

44 Then he brought me (A)back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, (B)which faces east. And it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for (C)the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. 3 Only (D)the prince may sit in it (E)to eat bread before the Lord. He (F)shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.”

4 Then he brought me by way of (G)the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, (H)the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord. And (I)I fell on my face. 5 And the Lord said to me, (J)“Son of man, mark well, (K)see with your eyes, (L)and hear with your ears all that I shall tell you concerning (M)all the statutes of the temple of the Lord and all its laws. And mark well (N)the entrance to the temple and all the exits from the sanctuary. 6 And say to (O)the rebellious house,[a] to the (P)house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: O house of Israel, (Q)enough of all your abominations, 7 in (R)admitting foreigners, (S)uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, (T)profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You[b] have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations. 8 And (U)you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep my charge for you in my sanctuary.

9 “Thus says the Lord God: (V)No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. 10 But (W)the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols (X)when Israel went astray, (Y)shall bear their punishment.[c] 11 They shall be (Z)ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight (AA)at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and (AB)they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols and became (AC)a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have (AD)sworn concerning them, declares the Lord God, and they shall bear their punishment. 13 They (AE)shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but (AF)they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. 14 Yet I will appoint them to keep (AG)charge of the temple, (AH)to do all its service and all that is to be done in it.

Rules for Levitical Priests

15 “But (AI)the Levitical priests, (AJ)the sons of Zadok, who kept (AK)the charge of my sanctuary (AL)when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me (AM)to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me (AN)the fat and the blood, declares the Lord God. 16 They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach (AO)my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear (AP)linen garments. They shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments around their waists. They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering (AQ)and lay them in the holy chambers. And (AR)they shall put on other garments, (AS)lest they transmit holiness to the people with their garments. 20 (AT)They shall not shave their heads or (AU)let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads. 21 (AV)No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 (AW)They shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. 23 (AX)They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and (AY)show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. 24 (AZ)In a dispute, they shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and (BA)they shall keep my Sabbaths holy. 25 (BB)They shall not defile themselves by going near to a dead person. However, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves. 26 (BC)After he[d] has become clean, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes into the Holy Place, (BD)into the inner court, to minister in the Holy Place, (BE)he shall offer his sin offering, declares the Lord God.

28 (BF)“This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and (BG)you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. 29 (BH)They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and (BI)every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 (BJ)And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. (BK)You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, (BL)that a blessing may rest on your house. 31 (BM)The priests shall not eat of (BN)anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by wild animals.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:6 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks house
  2. Ezekiel 44:7 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew They
  3. Ezekiel 44:10 Or iniquity; also verse 12
  4. Ezekiel 44:26 That is, a priest

Cross references

  1. Ezekiel 44:1 : [ch. 43:5]
  2. Ezekiel 44:1 : See ch. 43:1
  3. Ezekiel 44:2 : [ch. 43:4]
  4. Ezekiel 44:3 : ch. 34:24; 37:25; 45:7; 46:2
  5. Ezekiel 44:3 : [Gen. 31:54]
  6. Ezekiel 44:3 : ch. 46:2, 12
  7. Ezekiel 44:4 : ch. 40:20
  8. Ezekiel 44:4 : See ch. 43:5
  9. Ezekiel 44:4 : See ch. 1:28
  10. Ezekiel 44:5 : See ch. 2:1
  11. Ezekiel 44:5 : ch. 40:4
  12. Ezekiel 44:5 : ch. 40:4
  13. Ezekiel 44:5 : [ch. 43:11]
  14. Ezekiel 44:5 : [ch. 43:11]
  15. Ezekiel 44:6 : See ch. 2:3
  16. Ezekiel 44:6 : ch. 40:4
  17. Ezekiel 44:6 : ch. 45:9; [1 Pet. 4:3]
  18. Ezekiel 44:7 : [ver. 9; Neh. 7:64, 65; Acts 21:28]
  19. Ezekiel 44:7 : [Jer. 9:26; Acts 7:51]
  20. Ezekiel 44:7 : ch. 23:39
  21. Ezekiel 44:8 : [ch. 22:26]
  22. Ezekiel 44:9 : [ver. 7]
  23. Ezekiel 44:10 : [ver. 15; ch. 48:11]
  24. Ezekiel 44:10 : ch. 48:11
  25. Ezekiel 44:10 : See ch. 4:4
  26. Ezekiel 44:11 : ch. 46:24
  27. Ezekiel 44:11 : [1 Chr. 26:1]
  28. Ezekiel 44:11 : Num. 16:9
  29. Ezekiel 44:12 : ch. 7:19; 14:3, 4, 7; [Mal. 2:8]
  30. Ezekiel 44:12 : Ps. 106:26
  31. Ezekiel 44:13 : Num. 18:3; 2 Kgs. 23:9
  32. Ezekiel 44:13 : See ch. 32:24
  33. Ezekiel 44:14 : See ch. 40:45
  34. Ezekiel 44:14 : 1 Chr. 23:28, 32
  35. Ezekiel 44:15 : See ch. 43:19
  36. Ezekiel 44:15 : See ch. 43:19
  37. Ezekiel 44:15 : [See ver. 14 above]; See ch. 40:45
  38. Ezekiel 44:15 : [See ver. 10 above]; ch. 48:11
  39. Ezekiel 44:15 : [ver. 11; Deut. 10:8]
  40. Ezekiel 44:15 : [ver. 7]
  41. Ezekiel 44:16 : See ch. 41:22
  42. Ezekiel 44:17 : Ex. 28:39; 39:27
  43. Ezekiel 44:19 : ch. 42:14
  44. Ezekiel 44:19 : Lev. 6:11
  45. Ezekiel 44:19 : [ch. 46:20; Ex. 29:37; 30:29; Lev. 6:27]
  46. Ezekiel 44:20 : Lev. 21:5; [ch. 5:1]
  47. Ezekiel 44:20 : [Num. 6:5]
  48. Ezekiel 44:21 : Lev. 10:9
  49. Ezekiel 44:22 : Lev. 21:7, 13, 14
  50. Ezekiel 44:23 : [ch. 22:26]; See Lev. 10:10, 11
  51. Ezekiel 44:23 : [ch. 22:26]; See Lev. 10:10, 11
  52. Ezekiel 44:24 : Deut. 17:8, 9; [2 Chr. 19:8]
  53. Ezekiel 44:24 : [ch. 22:26]
  54. Ezekiel 44:25 : See Lev. 21:1-3
  55. Ezekiel 44:26 : Num. 19:11, 12
  56. Ezekiel 44:27 : ver. 17, 21
  57. Ezekiel 44:27 : ch. 40:39; 42:13; Lev. 4:2, 3
  58. Ezekiel 44:28 : See Num. 18:20
  59. Ezekiel 44:28 : [ch. 45:4, 5]
  60. Ezekiel 44:29 : See Lev. 6:14-18, 25-29; 7:1-6
  61. Ezekiel 44:29 : Lev. 27:21, 28; Num. 18:14
  62. Ezekiel 44:30 : See Ex. 23:19
  63. Ezekiel 44:30 : See Num. 15:20
  64. Ezekiel 44:30 : Mal. 3:10
  65. Ezekiel 44:31 : Lev. 22:8; [Ex. 22:31]; See Lev. 7:24
  66. Ezekiel 44:31 : ch. 4:14

You Might Also Like:

Ezekiel 44 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

44 And he causeth me to turn back the way of the gate of the outer sanctuary that is looking eastward, and it is shut. 2 And Jehovah saith unto me, `This gate is shut, it is not opened, and none doth go in by it, for Jehovah, God of Israel, hath come in by it, and it hath been shut. 3 The prince, wh...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

44 And he turned me (again) to the way of the gate of the outermore saintuary, which gate beheld to the east, and was closed. (And he returned me to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which gate faced east, and was closed.) 2 And the Lord said to me, This gate shall be closed, and shall not be opened,...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - World English Bible (WEB)

44 Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut. 2 Yahweh said to me, “This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened, no man shall enter in by it; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has entered in by it. Therefore it shall be shut...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - The Voice (VOICE)

44 Then the man whose appearance was like bronze led me back to the eastern gate where the Eternal One had entered, but I could see that the outer gate was now closed. Eternal One (to Ezekiel): 2 This gate must remain closed. It will never be opened again for anyone to walk through. The Eternal God ...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Prince at the Eastern Gate44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the Sanctuary looking east. It was shut. 2 Adonai said to me: “This gate is to be shut. It must not be opened. No one may enter through it, for Adonai God of Israel has entered through it. So it is to be kept shut. 3 Only the...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Closed Gate44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. 2 And he[a] said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain ...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Closed Gate44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. 2 And he[a] said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain ...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Closed Gate44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me: This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain sh...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Closed Gate44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faces east, and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me: “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain shut...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Prince, Levites, and Priests44 Then the man brought me back to the east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple area, but it was closed. 2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No one will ever open it and pass through, for the Lord, the God of Is...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Use of the East Gate44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the holy place, toward the east, and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate must stay shut. It must not be opened. No one may come in through it, for the Lord God of Israel has come in through it. So it must stay shut. ...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The East Gate and the Prince44 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary (A)which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, (B)because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; ...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The priesthood restored44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, ‘This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has ent...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New International Version (NIV)

The Priesthood Restored44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east,(A) and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it.(B) It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, ha...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Priesthood Will Be Established Again44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the temple. It was the one that faced east. It was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate must remain shut. It must not be opened. No one can enter through it. It must remain shut because I have entered th...
Read More

Ezekiel 44 - New English Translation (NET)

The Closed Gate44 Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that faces east, but it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me: “This gate will be shut; it will not be opened, and no one will enter by it. For the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it will remain shut...
Read More