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 detestable acts they committed.
14. Yet I will make them responsible for the duties of the temple — for all its work and everything done in it.
15. “But the Levitical priests descended from Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, will approach Me to serve Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
16. “They are the ones who may enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to serve Me. They will keep My mandate.
17. When they enter the gates of the inner court they must wear linen garments; they must not have on them anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court and within it.
18. They must wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They are not to put on anything that makes them sweat.
19. Before they go out to the outer court, to the people, they must take off the clothes they have been ministering in, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people through their clothes.
20. “They may not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
21. No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.
22. He is not to marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.
23. They must teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and explain to them the difference between the clean and the unclean.
24. “In a dispute, they will officiate as judges and decide the case according to My ordinances. They must observe My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed festivals, and keep My Sabbaths holy.
25. A priest may not come near a dead person so that he becomes defiled. However, he may defile himself for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister.
26. After he is cleansed, he is to count off seven days for himself.
27. On the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.