Leviticus 21
1 And YHWH says to Moses, “Speak to the priests, sons of Aaron, and you have said to them: No one defiles himself for a [dead] person among his people,
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 except for his relation who [is] near to him: for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
The only exceptions are for his immediate family. This includes his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,
3 and for his sister, the virgin, who is near to him, who has not been to a man; he is defiled for her.
or his unmarried sister since she is a close relative because she doesn't have a husband.
4 A master [priest] does not defile himself among his people—to defile himself;
He must not make himself unclean for those only related to him by marriage—he is not to make himself ceremonially impure.
5 they do not make baldness on their head, and they do not shave the corner of their beard, and they do not make a cutting 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 are holy to their God, and they do not defile the Name of their God, for the fire-offerings of YHWH, bread of their God, they are bringing near, and have been 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 do not take a woman of harlotry, or defiled, and they do not take a woman cast out from her husband, for he [is] holy to his 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 you have sanctified him, for he is bringing the bread of your God near. He is holy to you, for I, YHWH, sanctifying you, [am] holy.
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 And when a daughter of any priest defiles herself by going whoring—she is defiling her father; she is burned with fire.
A priest's daughter who makes herself unclean through prostitution makes her father unclean. She must be executed by burning.
10 And the high priest of his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who has consecrated his hand to put on the garments, does not uncover his head, nor tear 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 does he come beside any dead person; he does not defile himself for his father and for his mother;
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 nor does he go out from the sanctuary, nor does he defile the sanctuary of his God, for the separation of the anointing oil of his God [is] on him; I [am] YHWH.
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 And he takes a wife in her virginity;
He can only marry a virgin.
14 a widow, or cast out, or defiled, [or] a harlot—these he does not take, but he takes a virgin of his own people [for] a wife,
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 and he does not defile his seed among his people; for I [am] YHWH, sanctifying him.”
so that he doesn't make his children unclean among his people, for I am the Lord who makes him holy.”
16 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
17 “Speak to Aaron, saying, No man of your seed throughout their generations in whom there is blemish draws near to bring the bread of his God near,
“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 for no man in whom [is] a blemish draws near: a man blind, or lame, or disfigured, or deformed,
No man is allowed to do this if he has any defects, including anyone who is blind, crippled, facially disfigured, or has deformities,
19 or a man in whom there is a breach in the foot, or a breach in the hand,
anyone who has a broken foot or arm,
20 or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or [with] a defect in his eye, or [with] an itch, or [with] a scab, or [with] a broken testicle.
anyone who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has cataracts, skin sores or scabs, or a damaged testicle.
21 No man in whom is blemish (of the seed of Aaron the priest) comes near to bring the fire-offerings of YHWH near; blemish [is] in him; he does not come near to bring the bread of his God near.
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 Bread of his God—from the most holy things and from the holy things—he eats;
He is still allowed to eat the food from the Most Holy Place of his God and also from the sanctuary,
23 only, he does not come toward the veil, and he does not draw near to the altar; for blemish [is] in him; and he does not defile My sanctuaries; for I [am] YHWH, sanctifying 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 And Moses speaks to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel.
Moses repeated this to Aaron and his sons, and to all the Israelites.
