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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Ezekiel 44 NIV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ezekiel/44.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ezekiel/44-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NIV</a> > Ezekiel 44</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ezekiel/43.htm" title="Ezekiel 43">◄</a> Ezekiel 44 <a href="../ezekiel/45.htm" title="Ezekiel 45">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/ezekiel/44.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="sectionhead">The Priesthood Restored</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>The <span class="name">Lord</span> 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 <span class="name">Lord</span>, the God of Israel, has entered through it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the <span class="name">Lord</span>. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the <span class="name">Lord</span> filling the temple of the <span class="name">Lord</span>, and I fell facedown.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>The <span class="name">Lord</span> said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the <span class="name">Lord</span>. Give attention to the entrance to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Say to rebellious Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign <span class="name">Lord</span> says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>This is what the Sovereign <span class="name">Lord</span> says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>“ ‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign <span class="name">Lord</span>. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>“ ‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign <span class="name">Lord</span>. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and serve me as guards.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>“ ‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>“ ‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>“ ‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>“ ‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or purification offering; also in verse 29">a</a></sup></span> for himself, declares the Sovereign <span class="name">Lord</span>.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>“ ‘I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the LORD.">b</a></sup></span> to the <span class="name">Lord</span> will belong to them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/44-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals.</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">27</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>purification offering</i>; also in verse 29</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">29</span> <span class="footnotebot">The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the <span class="name">Lord</span>.</span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. 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