Leviticus 21

1 The Lord said also to Moses: Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and thou shalt say to them: Let not a priest incur an uncleanness at the death of his citizens:

The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron's sons, the priests: A priest is not to make himself unclean by touching the dead body of any of his relatives.

2 But only for his kin, such as are near in blood, that is to say, for his father and for his mother, and for his son, and for his daughter, for his brother also,

The only exceptions are for his immediate family. This includes his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,

3 And for a maiden sister, who hath had no husband:

or his unmarried sister since she is a close relative because she doesn't have a husband.

4 But not even for the prince of his people shall he do any thing that may make him unclean.

He must not make himself unclean for those only related to him by marriage—he is not to make himself ceremonially impure.

5 Neither shall they shave their head, nor their beard, nor make incisions in their flesh.

Priests are not to shave bald spots on their heads, trim the sides of their beards, or cut their bodies.

6 They shall be holy to their God, and shall not profane his name: for they offer the burnt offering of the Lord, and the bread of their God, and therefore they shall be holy.

They must be holy to their God and not disgrace their God's reputation. They are the one who present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God. Consequently they must be holy.

7 They shall not take to wife a harlot or a vile prostitute, nor one that has been put away from her husband: because they are consecrated to their God,

A priest is not to marry a woman made unclean through prostitution or who is divorced by her husband, for the priest must be holy to his God.

8 And offer the leaves of proposition. Let them therefore be holy, because I also am holy, the Lord, who sanctify them.

You shall consider him holy because he presents the food offerings to your God. He shall be holy to you, because I am holy. I am the Lord, and I chose you as my special people.

9 If the daughter of a priest be taken in whoredom, and dishonour the name of her father, she shall be burnt with fire.

A priest's daughter who makes herself unclean through prostitution makes her father unclean. She must be executed by burning.

10 The high priest, that is to say, the priest, is the greatest among his brethren. upon whose head the oil of unction hath been poured, and whose hands have been consecrated for the priesthood, and who hath been vested with the holy vestments, shall not uncover his head, he shall not rend his garments:

The high priest has the highest place among the other priests. He has been anointed with olive oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly clothing. He must not leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothes.

11 Nor shall he go in at all to any dead person: not even for his father, or his mother, shall he be defiled:

He is not to go near any dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even it is for his own father or mother.

12 Neither shall he go out of the holy places, lest he defile the sanctuary of the Lord, because the oil of the holy unction of his God is upon him. I am the Lord.

He must not leave to deal with someone who has died or make the sanctuary of his God unclean because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.

13 He shall take a virgin unto his wife:

He can only marry a virgin.

14 But a widow or one that is divorced, or defiled, or a harlot, he shall not take, but a maid of his own people:

He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one made unclean through prostitution. He has to marry a virgin from his own people,

15 He shall not mingle the stock of his kindred with the common people of his nation: for I am the Lord who sanctify him.

so that he doesn't make his children unclean among his people, for I am the Lord who makes him holy.”

16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

17 Say to Aaron: Whosoever of thy seed throughout their families, hath a blemish, he shall not offer bread to his God.

“Tell Aaron: These rules apply for all future generations. If any of your descendants has a physical defect, he is not allowed to come and present the food offerings of his God.

18 Neither shall he approach to minister to him: If he be blind, if he be lame, if he have a little, or a great, or a crooked nose,

No man is allowed to do this if he has any defects, including anyone who is blind, crippled, facially disfigured, or has deformities,

19 If his foot, or if his hand be broken,

anyone who has a broken foot or arm,

20 If he be crookbacked, or blear eyed, or have a pearl in his eye, or a continual scab, or a dry scurf in his body, or a rupture:

anyone who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has cataracts, skin sores or scabs, or a damaged testicle.

21 Whosoever of the seed of Aaron the priest hath a blemish, he shall not approach to offer sacrifices to the Lord, nor bread to his God.

No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect is allowed to come and present the food offerings to the Lord. Because he has a defect, he must not come and offer the food of his God.

22 He shall eat nevertheless of the loaves, that are offered in the sanctuary,

He is still allowed to eat the food from the Most Holy Place of his God and also from the sanctuary,

23 Yet so that he enter not within the veil, nor approach to the altar, because he hath a blemish, and he must not defile my sanctuary. I am the Lord who sanctify them.

but because he has a defect, he is not allowed to go near the curtain or the altar, so that my sanctuary and everything in it are not made unclean, because I am the Lord who makes them holy.”

24 Moses therefore spoke to Aaron, and to his sons and to all Israel, all the things that had been commanded him.

Moses repeated this to Aaron and his sons, and to all the Israelites.