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 said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people,

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,

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 for his sister, the virgin, who is near to him, who has not been to a man; he is defiled for her.

and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.

4 A master [priest] does not defile himself among his people—to defile himself;

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

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;

“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.

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 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 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;

“‘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 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.

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 when a daughter of any priest defiles herself by going whoring—she is defiling her father; she is burned with fire.

“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

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,

“‘He who is the high priest among 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 nor does he come beside any dead person; he does not defile himself for his father and for his mother;

He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his 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 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 takes a wife in her virginity;

“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.

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 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 and he does not defile his seed among his people; for I [am] YHWH, sanctifying him.”

He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.’”

16 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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,

“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 no man in whom [is] a blemish draws near: a man blind, or lame, or disfigured, or deformed,

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 in whom there is a breach in the foot, or a breach in the hand,

or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,

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.

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 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 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 Bread of his God—from the most holy things and from the holy things—he eats;

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

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.”

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 speaks to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel.

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