Leviticus 21

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

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,

2 except for his kin, that is near unto him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother;

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

3 and for his sister a virgin, that is near unto him, that hath had no husband, for her may he defile himself.

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

4 He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

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

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

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

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

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.

7 They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profaned; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband; for he is holy unto his God.

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

8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God; he shall be holy unto thee; for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

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.

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

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

10 And the priest that is highest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor rend his clothes;

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.

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

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

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

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.

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

The woman he marries must be a virgin.

14 A widow, or one divorced, or a profaned woman, or a harlot, these shall he not take; but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife.

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,

15 And he shall not profane his seed among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctify him.

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

16 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Then the LORD said to Moses,

17 Speak unto Aaron, saying: Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

“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.

18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath any thing maimed, or anything too long,

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

19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,

no man who has a broken foot or hand,

20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath his eye overspread, or is scabbed, or scurvy, or hath his stones crushed;

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

21 no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire; he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

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.

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

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

23 Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not My holy places; for I am the LORD who sanctify them.

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.’”

24 So Moses spoke unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

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