Leviticus 21
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1The LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. “A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative.1The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron's sons, the priests, and tell them: A priest is not to make himself ceremonially unclean for a dead person among his relatives,
2The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother,2except for his immediate family: his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother.
3or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband.3He may make himself unclean for his unmarried virgin sister in his immediate family.
4But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage.4He is not to make himself unclean for those related to him by marriage and so defile himself.
5“The priests must not shave their heads or trim their beards or cut their bodies.5"Priests may not make bald spots on their heads, shave the edge of their beards, or make gashes on their bodies.
6They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the LORD, gifts of food for their God.6They are to be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they present the fire offerings to the LORD, the food of their God, and they must be holy.
7“Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God.7They are not to marry a woman defiled by prostitution. They are not to marry one divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
8You must treat them as holy because they offer up food to your God. You must consider them holy because I, the LORD, am holy, and I make you holy.8You are to consider him holy since he presents the food of your God. He will be holy to you because I, the LORD who sets you apart, am holy.
9“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death.9If a priest's daughter defiles herself by promiscuity, she defiles her father; she must be burned to death.
10“The high priest has the highest rank of all the priests. The anointing oil has been poured on his head, and he has been ordained to wear the priestly garments. He must never leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothing.10"The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the clothes, must not dishevel his hair or tear his clothes.
11He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother.11He must not go near any dead person or make himself unclean even for his father or mother.
12He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD.12He must not leave the sanctuary or he will desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the LORD.
13“The high priest may marry only a virgin.13"He is to marry a woman who is a virgin.
14He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan,14He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,
15so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the LORD who makes him holy.”15so that he does not corrupt his bloodline among his people, for I am the LORD who sets him apart."
16Then the LORD said to Moses,16The LORD spoke to Moses:
17“Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God.17"Tell Aaron: None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect is to come near to present the food of his God.
18No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed,18No man who has any defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed;
19or has a broken foot or arm,19no man who has a broken foot or hand,
20or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles.20or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.
21No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God.21No descendant of the priest Aaron who has a defect is to come near to present the fire offerings to the LORD. He has a defect and is not to come near to present the food of his God.
22However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings.22He may eat the food of his God from what is especially holy as well as from what is holy.
23Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the LORD who makes them holy.”23But because he has a defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. He is not to desecrate my holy places, for I am the LORD who sets them apart."
24So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.24Moses said this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Leviticus 20
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