Chapter 21
1 Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh , 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 Yahweh .
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 Yahweh who sanctifies him .’"
16 Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh who sanctifies them .’"
24 So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons , and to all the children of Israel .