10. For the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray after their idols, will bear their iniquity.
11. Yet they will be ministers in My Sanctuary, overseers of the gates of the House and ministering in the House. They will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people. They will stand before them to minister to them.
12. Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up My hand against them”—it is a declaration of Adonai. “They will bear their iniquity.
13. They will not come near to Me, to minister to Me as kohanim, nor come near to any of My holy things, to the things that are most holy. They will bear their shame and their abominations, which they have committed.
14. “Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the House, for all its service and for all that will be done in it.
15. So the Levitical kohanim, the sons of Zadok who kept charge of My Sanctuary when Bnei-Yisrael wandered from Me, will draw near to Me to minister to Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood”—it is declaration of Adonai.
16. “They are ones who will enter My Sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister to Me. They will keep My charge.
17. It will be that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they will be clothed with linen garments. No wool will come on them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
18. They will have linen turbans upon their heads and linen underclothes upon their loins; they will not wear anything that causes sweat.
19. Before they go out to the outer court—to the outer courtyard to the people—they must take off their garments in which they minister and leave them in the holy chambers. They will put on other garments, so they do not consecrate the people while in their garments.
20. They must not shave their heads or let their locks grow long, but must carefully trim the hair of their heads.
21. No kohen may drink wine before entering the inner court.
22. None may take a widow or a divorced woman as his wife, for they must take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel or a widow who is the widow of a kohen.
23. “They will teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and explain to them the difference between the unclean and the clean.