Leviticus 21

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,

And the Lord said vnto Moses, Speake vnto the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron, and say vnto them, Let none be defiled by the dead among his people,

2 except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,

But by his kinseman that is neere vnto him: to wit, by his mother, or by his father, or by his sonne, or by his daughter, or by his brother,

3 or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.

Or by his sister a maid, that is neere vnto him, which hath not had a husband: for her he may lament.

4 He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.

He shall not lament for the Prince among his people, to pollute him selfe.

5 Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.

They shall not make balde partes vpon their head, nor shaue off the locks of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.

They shalbe holy vnto their God, and not pollute the name of their God: for the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God they doe offer: therefore they shalbe holie.

7 A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.

They shall not take to wife an whore, or one polluted, neither shall they marrie a woman diuorced from her husband: for such one is holy vnto his God.

8 You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.

Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy vnto thee: for I the Lord, which sanctifie you, am holy.

9 If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.

If a Priestes daughter fall to play the whore, she polluteth her father: therefore shall she be burnt with fire.

10 The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments.

Also ye hie Priest among his brethren, (vpon whose head the anointing oyle was powred, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments) shall not vncouer his head, nor rent his clothes,

11 He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.

Neither shall he goe to any dead bodie, nor make him selfe vncleane by his father or by his mother,

12 He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD.

Neither shall he goe out of the Sanctuarie, nor pollute the holy place of his God: for the crowne of the anoynting oyle of his God is vpon him: I am the Lord.

13 The woman he marries must be a virgin.

Also he shall take a maide vnto his wife:

14 He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,

But a widowe, or a diuorced woman, or a polluted, or an harlot, these shall he not marrie, but shall take a maide of his owne people to wife:

15 so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”

Neyther shall he defile his seede among his people: for I am the Lord which sanctifie him.

16 Then the LORD said to Moses,

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

17 “Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God.

Speake vnto Aaron, and say, Whosoeuer of thy seede in their generations hath any blemishes, shall not prease to offer the bread of his God:

18 No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;

For whosoeuer hath any blemish, shall not come neere: as a man blinde or lame, or that hath a flat nose, or that hath any misshapen member,

19 no man who has a broken foot or hand,

Or a man that hath a broken foote, or a broken hande,

20 or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.

Or is crooke backt, or bleare eyed, or hath a blemish in his eye, or be skiruie, or skabbed, or haue his stones broken.

21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.

None of the seede of Aaron the Priest that hath a blemish, shall come neere to offer the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire, hauing a blemish: he shall not prease to offer the bread of his God.

22 He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food,

The bread of his God, euen of the most holie, and of the holy shall he eate:

23 but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

But he shall not goe in vnto the vaile, nor come neere the altar, because hee hath a blemish, least he pollute my Sanctuaries: for I am the Lord that sanctifie them.

24 Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Thus spake Moses vnto Aaron, and to his sonnes, and to all the children of Israel.