Leviticus 21
1 And the Lord seide to Moyses, Speke thou to preestis, the sones of Aaron, and thou schalt seie to hem, A preest be not defoulid in the deed men of hise citeseyns,
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 no but oneli in kynesmen and niy of blood, that is, on fadir and modir, and sone and douyter,
except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,
3 and brother and sister, virgyn, which is not weddid to man;
or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.
4 but nether he schal be defoulid in the prince of his puple.
He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.
5 Preestis schulen not schaue the heed, nether beerd, nether thei schulen make keruyngis in her fleischis; thei schulen be hooli to her God,
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
6 and thei schulen not defoule his name; for thei offren encense of the Lord, and the looues of her God, and therfore thei schulen be hooli.
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 A preest schal not wedde a wijf a corrupt womman, and a `foul hoore, nether he schal wedde `hir that is forsakun of the hosebonde, for he is halewid to 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 and offrith the looues of settyng forth; therfor be he hooly, for `Y am the hooli Lord that halewith you.
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 If the `doutir of a preest is takun in defoulyng of virgynite, and defoulith the name of hir fadir, sche schal be brent in flawmes.
If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
10 The bischop, that is the moost preest among hise britheren, on whose heed the oile of anoyntyng is sched, and whose hondis ben sacrid in preesthod, and he is clothid in hooli clothis, schal not diskyuere his heed, he schal not tere hise clothis,
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 and outirli he schal not entre to ony deed man; and he schal not be defoulid on his fadir and modir,
He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.
12 nether he schal go out of hooli thingis, lest he defoule the seyntuarie of the Lord, for the oile of hooli anoyntyng of his God is on hym; Y 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 He schal wedde a wijf virgyn;
The woman he marries must be a virgin.
14 he schal not take a widewe, and forsakun, and a foul womman, and hoore, but a damesele of his puple;
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 medle he not the generacioun of his kyn to the comyn puple of his folk, for Y am the Lord, that `halewe hym.
so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”
16 And the Lord spak to Moyses,
Then the LORD said to Moses,
17 and seide, Speke thou to Aaron; a man of thi seed, bi meynes, that hath a wem, schal not offre breed to 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 nethir schal neiy to his seruyce;
No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;
19 if he is blind; if he is crokid; if he is ether of litil, ether of greet, and wrong nose; if he is `of brokun foot, ethir hond;
no man who has a broken foot or hand,
20 if he hath a botche; ether if he is blereiyed; if he hath whijt colour in the iye, that lettith the siyt; if he hath contynuel scabbe; if he hath a drye scabbe in the bodi; ethir `is brokun `in the pryuy membris.
or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.
21 Ech man of the seed of Aaron preest, which man hath a wem, schal not neiye to offre sacrifices to the Lord, nether `to offre looues to 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 netheles he schal ete the looues that ben offrid in the seyntuarie,
He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food,
23 so oneli that he entre not with ynne the veil; he schal not neiye to the auter, for he hath a wem, and he schal not defoule my seyntuarie; Y am the Lord that halewe hem.
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 Therfor Moises spak to Aaron, and to hise sones, and to al Israel, alle thingis that weren comaundid to hym.
Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
