The Levites' Duties and Privileges
6 "Say to the rebellious people, the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: [I have had] enough of all your abominations, house of Israel.
7
When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, to occupy My sanctuary, you defiled My temple while you offered My food-the fat and the blood. You broke My covenant with all your abominations.
8
You have not kept charge of My holy things but have appointed [others] to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.
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.
10
Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who strayed from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their sin.
11
Yet they will occupy My sanctuary, serving as guards at the temple gates and ministering at the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings and [other] sacrifices for the people and will stand before them to serve them.
12
Because they ministered to the house of Israel before their idols and became a sinful stumbling block to them, therefore I swore an oath against them"-[this is] the declaration of the Lord God -"that they would bear the consequences of their sin.
13
They must not approach Me to serve Me as priests or come near any of My holy things or the most holy things. They will bear their disgrace and the consequences of the abominations they committed.
14
Yet I will make them responsible for the duties of the temple-for all its work and everything done in it.