Leviticus 21

1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;2 except for his kin, that is near unto him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,3 and for his sister a virgin, that is near unto him, that hath had no husband; for her may he defile himself.4 He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.7 They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I Jehovah, who sanctify you, am holy.9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, 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 go loose, nor rend his clothes;11 neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;12 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 Jehovah.13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.14 A widow, or one divorced, or a profane woman, a harlot, these shall he not take: but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife.15 And he shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth him.

16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or anything superfluous,19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or is scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;21 no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy:23 only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth them.24 So Moses spake unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

Leviticus 21

Rules for the Priests

1 The Lord said to Moses: “Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron – say to them, ‘For a dead persont no priestt is to defile himself among his people,s2 except for his close relative who is near to him:t his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,3 and his virgin sister who is near to him,t who has no husband; he may defile himself for her.4 He must not defile himself as a husband among his people so as to profane himself.t

5 Priestst must not have a bald spot shaved on their head, they must not shave the corner of their beard, and they must not cut slashes in their body.t
6 “‘They must be holy to their God, and they must not profanes the name of their God, because they are the ones who present the Lord’s gifts,s the food of their God. Therefore they must be holy.s7 They must not take a wife defiled by prostitution,t nor are they to take a wife divorced from her husband,s for the priestt is holy to his God.t8 You must sanctify him because he presents the food of your God. He must be holy to you because I, the Lord who sanctifies you all,t am holy.

9 If a daughter of a priest profanes herself by engaging in prostitution, she is profaning her father. She must be burned to death.t

Rules for the High Priest

10 “‘The hight priest – who is greater than his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, who has been ordainedt to wear the priestly garments – must neither dishevel the hair of his head nor tear his garments.t11 He must not go where there is any dead person;s he must not defile himself even for his father and his mother.12 He must not go out from the sanctuary and must not profanes the sanctuary of his God, because the dedication of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the Lord.13 He must take a wife who is a virgin.t14 He must not marryt a widow, a divorced woman, or one profaned by prostitution; he may only take a virgin from his peoples as a wife.

15 He must not profane his children among his people,s for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.’”

Rules for the Priesthood

16 The Lord spoke to Moses:17 “Tell Aaron, ‘No man from your descendants throughout their generationst who has a physical flawt is to approach to present the food of his God.18 Certainlyt no man who has a physical flaw is to approach: a blind man, or one who is lame, or one with a slit nose,t or a limb too long,19 or a man who has had a broken leg or arm,t20 or a hunchback, or a dwarf,t or one with a spot in his eye,t or a festering eruption, or a feverish rash,t or a crushed testicle.21 No man from the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a physical flaw may step forwardt to present the Lord’s gifts; he has a physical flaw, so he must not step forward to present the food of his God.22 He may eat both the most holy and the holy food of his God,

23 but he must not go into the veil-canopys or step forward to the altar because he has a physical flaw. Thust he must not profane my holy places, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”

24 Sot Moses spoke these thingst to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites.