Ezekiel 44:9–16

⁹‘Thus said the Lord Jehovah: No son of a stranger, uncircumcised of heart, and uncircumcised of flesh, cometh in unto My sanctuary, even any son of a stranger, who is in the midst of the sons of Israel.

¹⁰But—the Levites who have gone far off from me, in the wandering of Israel when they went astray from Me after their idols, and they have borne their iniquity. ¹¹And they have been in My sanctuary ministrants, overseers at the gates of the house, and ministrants at the house; they slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they stand before them to serve them. ¹²Because that they serve them before their idols, and have been to the house of Israel for a stumbling-block of iniquity, therefore I have lifted up my hand against them—an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah—and they have borne their iniquity. ¹³And they draw not nigh unto Me to act as My priest, and to draw nigh unto any of My holy things, unto the holy of holies, and they have borne their shame and their abominations that they have done, ¹⁴and I made them keepers of the charge of the house, for all its service and for all that is done in it. ¹⁵‘And the priests, the Levites, sons of Zadok, who have kept the charge of My sanctuary in the wandering of the sons of Israel from off Me, they draw near unto Me to serve Me, and have stood before Me, to bring near to Me fat and blood—an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah: ¹⁶they come in unto My sanctuary, and they draw near unto My table to serve Me, and they have kept My charge.