1 The 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,  * 21:1 Nm 5:2–3; 6:6; 19:11–13; 31:19; Ezk 44:252 except for his immediate family: his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother. 3 He may make himself unclean for his unmarried virgin sister in his immediate family. 4 He is not to make himself unclean for those related to him by marriage  * 21:4 Lit unclean a husband among his people and so defile himself.

5 "Priests may not make bald spots on their heads, shave the edge of their beards, or make gashes on their bodies.  * 21:5 Lv 19:27–286 They are to be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God.  * 21:6 Ex 20:7; Lv 20:3; Jn 10:25 For they present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, and they must be holy. 7 They are not to marry a woman defiled by prostitution.  * 21:7 Or a prostitute, or a defiled woman,* 21:7 Gn 34:31 They are not to marry one divorced  * 21:7 Dt 22:19,29; 24:1,3; Mal 2:16; Mt 1:19; 5:31–32; 19:3–9 by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. 8 You 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 promiscuity,  * 21:9 Or prostitution,* 21:9 Dt 22:21 she defiles her father; she must be burned to death.  * 21:9 Gn 38:24; Lv 20:14; Jdg 15:6; Rv 17:16

10 "The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained  * 21:10 Lit and one has filled his hand to wear the clothes, must not dishevel his hair  * 21:10 Or not uncover his head or tear his clothes.  * 21:10 Lv 10:6; Ezk 44:20; Mk 14:6311 He must not go near any dead person or make himself unclean even for his father or mother.  * 21:11 Ezk 44:2512 He 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;  * 21:12 Lv 10:7 I am the Lord.

13 "He is to marry a woman who is a virgin. 14 He is not to marry a widow,  * 21:14 Ex 22:22 a divorced woman,  * 21:14 Lv 21:7; 22:13; Nm 30:10; Ezk 44:22 or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he does not corrupt his bloodline  * 21:15 Lit not profane his seed among his people, for I am the Lord who sets him apart."

16 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17 "Tell Aaron: None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect  * 21:17 Nm 19:2 is to come near to present the food  * 21:17 Lv 3:11 of his God. 18 No man who has any defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed; 19 no man who has a broken foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf,  * 21:20 Or or emaciated,* 21:20 Gn 41:3–4,6–7,23–24; Ex 16:14; Lv 13:30; 16:12; 1Kg 19:12; Is 29:5; 40:15,22 or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs,  * 21:20 Lv 22:22 or a crushed testicle.  * 21:18–20 Lv 22:24; Dt 23:121 No descendant of the priest Aaron who has a defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect and is not to come near to present the food of his God. 22 He may eat the food of his God from what is especially holy as well as from what is holy. 23 But because he has a defect, he must not go near the curtain  * 21:23 Mk 15:38; Heb 6:19 or approach the altar. He is not to desecrate my holy places, for I am the Lord who sets them apart."  * 21:23 Ex 31:13; Lv 20:8; 21:8,15; 22:9,16,32; Ezk 20:1224 Moses said this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.