8. You didn’t take care of my holy things. You put foreigners in charge of my temple.
9. So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Any godless foreigner who lives among the Israelites may not enter my holy place.
10. “‘Some Levites went far away from me when Israel wandered off to follow their idols. They must be punished for their sins.
11. They could have served in my holy place. They could have guarded the gates of the temple. They could have served in the temple by slaughtering the animals for the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people. They could have stood in front of the people and served them.
12. But they served the people by standing in front of their idols and by making Israel fall into sin. So I raised my hand and swore that they would be punished for their sins, declares the Lord.
13. They must not come near me and serve me as priests. They must not come near any of my holy things or my most holy things. They must suffer disgrace because of the disgusting things that they have done.
14. I will assign them all of the less important work in the temple.
15. “‘But the priests who are Levites and descendants of Zadok took care of my holy place when the Israelites wandered away from me. They may come near me and serve me, and they may stand in my presence. They may bring fat and blood to me, declares the Almighty Lord.
16. They may enter my holy place, come near my table to serve me, and take care of everything I gave them.
17. When they enter the gateways to the inner courtyard, they must wear linen clothes. They must have no wool on them while they serve in the gateways to the inner courtyard and in the temple.
18. They must wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that makes them sweat.