Leviticus 21
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1And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,1And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people,
2except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;2except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,
3also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself.3or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean).
4Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.4He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself.
5‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh.5They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body.
6They 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, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.6They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
7They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God.7They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
8Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.8You 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.
9The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.9And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
10He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes;10“The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.
11nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother;11He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother.
12nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.12He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the LORD.
13And he shall take a wife in her virginity.13And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife.14A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people,
15Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the LORD sanctify him.’ ”15that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”
16And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,16And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
17“Speak to Aaron, saying: ‘No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God.17“Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God.
18For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long,18For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long,
19a man who has a broken foot or broken hand,19or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand,
20or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch.20or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.
21No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.21No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD’s food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
22He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy;22He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things,
23only he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest he profane My sanctuaries; for I the LORD sanctify them.’ ”23but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”
24And Moses told it to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel.24So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.
Leviticus 20
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