< 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,
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the cohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, 'A cohen shall not defile himself for the dead 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 relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,
3 and brother and sister, virgyn, which is not weddid to man;
and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
4 but nether he schal be defoulid in the prince of his puple.
He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to 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,
"'They shall not shave their heads, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
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 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 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,
"'They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband: for he 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 shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God: he shall be holy to you: for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.
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.
"'The daughter of any cohen, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burned with 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,
"'He who is the cohen hagadol among his brothers, 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 hang loose, nor tear his clothes;
11 and outirli he schal not entre to ony deed man; and he schal not be defoulid on his fadir and modir,
neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his 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.
neither shall he 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 He schal wedde a wijf virgyn;
"'He shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 he schal not take a widewe, and forsakun, and a foul womman, and hoore, but a damesele of his puple;
A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife.
15 medle he not the generacioun of his kyn to the comyn puple of his folk, for Y am the Lord, that `halewe hym.
He shall not profane his offspring among his people: for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.'"
16 And the Lord spak to Moyses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
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, 'None of your descendants throughout their generations who has a blemish, may approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 nethir schal neiy to his seruyce;
For whatever man he is that has a blemish, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,
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;
or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured 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 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 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 man of the descendants of Aaron the cohen, who has a blemish, shall come near to present offerings to your God made by fire. Since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
22 netheles he schal ete the looues that ben offrid in the seyntuarie,
He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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.
He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a blemish; that he may not profane 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.
So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

< Leviticus 21 >