Leviticus 21
1 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Speak unto the priests, sons of Aaron, and thou hast said unto them, For [any] person [a priest] is not defiled 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 unto 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 unto him, who hath not been to a man; for her he is defiled.
or his unmarried sister since she is a close relative because she doesn't have a husband.
4 'A master [priest] doth not defile himself among his people — to pollute 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 the corner of their beard they do not shave, and in their flesh they do not make a cutting;
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 pollute not the name of their God, for the fire-offerings of Jehovah, 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 'A woman, a harlot, or polluted, they do not take, and a woman cast out from her husband they do not take, 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 thou hast sanctified him, for the bread of thy God he is bringing near; he is holy to thee; for holy [am] I, Jehovah, sanctifying you.
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 a daughter of any priest when she polluteth herself by going a-whoring — her father she is polluting; with fire she is burnt.
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 brethren, on whose head is poured the anointing oil, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments, his head doth not uncover, nor rend 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 beside any dead person doth he come; for his father and for his mother he doth not defile himself;
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 from the sanctuary doth he go out, nor doth he pollute the sanctuary of his God, for the separation of the anointing oil of his God [is] on him; I [am] Jehovah.
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 taketh a wife in her virginity;
He can only marry a virgin.
14 widow, or cast out, or polluted one — a harlot — these he doth not take, but a virgin of his own people he doth take [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 doth not pollute his seed among his people; for I [am] Jehovah, 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 Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
17 'Speak unto Aaron, saying, No man of thy seed to their generations in whom there is blemish doth draw near to bring near the bread of his God,
“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] blemish doth draw near — a man blind, or lame or dwarfed, or enlarged,
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 hump-backed, or a dwarf, or with a mixture in his eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled.
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) doth come nigh to bring near the fire-offerings of Jehovah; blemish [is] in him; the bread of his God he doth not come nigh to bring 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 — of the most holy things, and of the holy things — he doth eat;
He is still allowed to eat the food from the Most Holy Place of his God and also from the sanctuary,
23 only, unto the vail he doth not enter, and unto the altar he doth not draw nigh; for blemish [is] in him; and he doth not pollute My sanctuaries; for I [am] Jehovah, 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 speaketh unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the sons of Israel.
Moses repeated this to Aaron and his sons, and to all the Israelites.
