Study Desk

"But the ^(C1)Levitical priests, the sons of ^(C2)Zadok, who ^(F1)(C3)took responsibility for My sanctuary when the sons of Israel ^(C4)went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to serve Me; and they shall ^(C5)stand before Me to offer Me the ^(C6)fat and the blood," declares the Lord GOD.

"They shall ^(C1)enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My ^(C2)table to serve Me and ^(F1)assume the responsibility I give them.

"And it shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner courtyard, they shall be clothed with ^(C1)linen garments; and wool shall not ^(F1)be worn by them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner courtyard or in the house.

"Linen ^(C1)turbans shall be on their heads and ^(C2)linen undergarments shall be around their waists; they shall not put on anything that makes them sweat.

"And when they go out into the outer courtyard, into the outer courtyard to the people, they shall ^(C1)take off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments, so that they will ^(C2)not transfer holiness to the people with their garments.

"Also they shall ^(C1)not shave their heads, yet they shall not ^(C2)let their locks ^(F1)grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

"^(C1)Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner courtyard.

"And they shall not ^(F1)marry a widow or a ^(C1)divorced woman, but shall ^(C2)take virgins from the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

"Moreover, they shall teach My people the ^(C1)difference between the holy and the ^(F1)common, and teach them to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.

"In a dispute ^(C1)they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My ^(C2)appointed feasts, and ^(C3)sanctify My Sabbaths.

"^(F1)(C1)They shall not go to a dead person to defile themselves; however, for father, for mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a husband, they may defile themselves.

"And after he is ^(C1)cleansed, seven days ^(F1)shall elapse for him.

"On the day that he goes into the sanctuary, to the ^(C1)inner courtyard to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his ^(C2)sin offering," declares the Lord GOD.

"And it shall be regarding an inheritance for them, that ^(C1)I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no property in Israel—I am their property.

"They shall ^(C1)eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering; and everything ^(C2)banned from secular use in Israel shall be theirs.

"And the first of all the ^(C1)first fruits of every kind and every ^(F1)contribution of every kind, from all your ^(F1)contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the ^(C2)first of your ^(F2)dough, to make a ^(C3)blessing rest on your house.

"The priests shall not eat any bird or animal that has ^(C1)died a natural death or has been torn to pieces by animals.