< Leviticus 21 >

1 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;
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead amongst his people,
2 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,
except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,
3 And on his sister that is a virgin, that is nigh unto him, who hath had no husband: on her may he defile himself.
and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
4 The chief man among his people shall not defile himself, to be profaned thereby.
He shall not defile himself, being a chief man amongst his people, to profane himself.
5 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.
“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 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.
They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the bread of their God. Therefore they shall be holy.
7 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.
“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.
8 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.
Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.
9 And if the daughter of any priest profane herself by committing incest, her father doth she profane: with fire shall she be burnt.
“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burnt with fire.
10 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;
“‘He who is the high priest amongst his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes.
11 Neither shall he go in to any dead body; even on his father, and on his mother shall he not defile himself.
He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his mother.
12 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.
He shall not 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 And he shall take a wife in her virgin state.
“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 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;
He shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute. He shall take a virgin of his own people as a wife.
15 So that he may not profane his seed among his people; for I, the Lord, do sanctify him.
He shall not profane his offspring amongst his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.’”
16 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
17 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.
“Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 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,
For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,
19 Or a man who hath a broken foot, or a broken hand,
or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,
20 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.
or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles.
21 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.
No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
22 The brewed of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy things he may eat.
He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
23 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.
He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”
24 And Moses spoke thus unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

< Leviticus 21 >