Leviticus 21

1 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.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:

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

But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother.

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

And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which has had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

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

But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

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

They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 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.

They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

7 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.

They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

8 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.

You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God: he shall be holy unto you: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.

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

And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profanes her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

10 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.

And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;

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

Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

12 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.

Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.

13 He can only marry a virgin.

And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

14 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,

A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

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

Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

16 The Lord told Moses,

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

17 “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.

Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of your seed in their generations that has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

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

For whatsoever man he be that has a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that has a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

19 anyone who has a broken foot or arm,

Or a man that is broken footed, or broken handed,

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

Or crooked back, or a dwarf, or that has a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or has his stones broken;

21 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.

No man that has a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he has a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

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

He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

23 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.”

Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he has a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

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

And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.