⁹This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.ⁱ

¹⁰“ ‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray^j and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.^k ¹¹They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings^l and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.^m ¹²But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fallⁿ into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand^o that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.^p ¹³They 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^q of their detestable practices.^r ¹⁴And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.^s

¹⁵“ ‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok^t 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^u and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.^v ¹⁶They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table^w to minister before me and serve me as guards.^x

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Cross references

i Joel 3:17; Zec 14:21
j Ps 95:10
k Nu 18:23
l 2 Ch 29:34
m Nu 3:5–37; See 16:9; See 1 Ch 26:12–19
nSee Jer 18:15
o Ps 106:26
p 2 Ki 16:10–16; Jer 14:10
qSee Eze 16:61
r Nu 18:3; Hos 5:1
s 1 Sa 2:36; 2 Ki 23:9; See 1 Ch 23:28–32
tSee 2 Sa 8:17; See Ezr 7:2
uSee Ex 29:13
vSee Jer 33:18; See Eze 40:46; Zec 3:7
wSee Eze 41:22
x Lev 3:16–17; 17:5–6; Nu 18:5; See 1 Sa 2:35; Zec 3:7