21
1 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 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
virgin sister who
is near to
him, who has
had no husband;
for her he
may defile himself.
4 He
shall not defile
himself, being
a chief man among
his people, to
profane himself.
5 “ ‘They
shall not shave
their heads or
shave off the
corners of their
beards or make
any cuttings in
their flesh.
6 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
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 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 “ ‘The
daughter of any
priest, if she
profanes herself
by playing the
prostitute, she
profanes her father.
She shall be
burned with fire.
10 “ ‘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 He
must not go in
to any dead
body, or defile
himself for
his father or for
his mother.
12 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 “ ‘He
shall take a wife
in her virginity.
14 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 He
shall not profane
his offspring
among his people,
for I am
the LORD who
sanctifies him.’ ”
16 The
LORD spoke to
Moses, saying,
17 “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
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 who has
an injured foot,
or an injured hand,
20 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 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 He shall
eat the bread
of his God, both
of the most
holy, and of
the holy.
23 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 So
Moses spoke
to Aaron, and to
his sons, and
to all the
children of Israel.