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, None [of them] shall defile himself on the dead, among his people;

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

But on his kin, that is near unto him, [that is, ] on his mother, and on his father, and on his son, and on his daughter, and on his brother,

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

And on his sister that is a virgin, that is nigh unto him, who hath had no husband: on her may he defile himself.

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

The chief man among his people shall not defile himself, to be profaned thereby.

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 any baldness upon their head, and the corner of their beard shall they not shave off, and in their flesh shall they not make any incision.

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.

Holy shall they be unto their God, and they shall not profane the name of their God; for the fire-offerings of the Lord, the bread of their God, do they offer, they shall therefore 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.

A woman that is a harlot, or one profaned, shall they not take; and a woman put away from her husband shall they not take; for holy is he 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.

And thou shalt sanctify him; for the bread of thy God doth he offer: holy shall he be unto thee; for I the Lord, who 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 if the daughter of any priest profane herself by committing incest, her father doth she profane: with fire shall she be burnt.

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 the priest that is highest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil hath been poured, and who hath been consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head grow long, and his garments shall he not rend;

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; even on his father, and on his mother shall he not defile himself.

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.

And out of the sanctuary shall he not go, that he may not 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 virgin state.

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, and a divorced woman, and one profaned, [and] a harlot, these shall he not take; but a virgin of his own people shall he take for wife;

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

So that he may not 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 of thy seed in their generations it be on whom there is any blemish, shall 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 it be on whom there is a blemish, shall not approach: a blind, or a lame man, or one that hath a flattened nose, or a man one of whose limbs is too long,

19 anyone who has a broken foot or arm,

Or a man who hath a broken foot, or a broken hand,

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

Or a crookbacked, or a dwarf, or one that hath a blemish in his eye, or the itch, or the scurvy, or the testicles 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.

Every man on whom there is a blemish, of the seed of Aaron the priest, shall not come nigh to offer the fire-offerings of the Lord: there is a blemish on him; 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,

The brewed of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy things he may eat.

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 unto the vail, and unto the altar shall he not come nigh, because there is a blemish on him; that he profane not my holy things; for I the Lord do sanctify them.

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

And Moses spoke thus unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.