LeviticusChapter 21

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¹Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron. Tell them this. A priest must not make himself unclean for a dead person among his people. ²He may do so only for his close family. That means his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother. ³He may also do so for his unmarried sister who is close to him, since she has no husband. ⁴He must not make himself unclean for those related to him by marriage. That would make him unholy. ⁵Priests must not shave bald spots on their heads. They must not shave off the edges of their beards. They must not cut their bodies. ⁶They must be holy to their God. They must not dishonor the name of their God. They offer to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God. So they must be holy. ⁷A priest must not marry a woman made impure by prostitution. He must not marry a woman whose husband has divorced her. For the priest is holy to his God. ⁸You must treat him as holy, because he offers the food of your God. He must be holy to you. For I, the LORD, am holy. I am the one who sets you apart. ⁹If a priest's daughter makes herself impure by becoming a prostitute, she brings shame on her father. She must be burned in the fire. ¹⁰One priest is the highest among his brothers. The anointing oil has been poured on his head. He has been appointed to wear the priest's clothes. He must not let his hair hang loose or tear his clothes. ¹¹He must not go near any dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother. ¹²He must not leave the sanctuary of his God or make it unholy. For the anointing oil of his God has set him apart. I am the LORD. ¹³The woman he marries must be a virgin. ¹⁴He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman made impure by prostitution. He must marry a virgin from his own people. ¹⁵Then he will not make his children impure among his people. For I am the LORD who makes him holy." ¹⁶Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁷"Tell Aaron this: 'For all the generations to come, none of your descendants who has something wrong with his body may come near to offer the food of his God. ¹⁸No man who has any flaw may come near. No man who is blind or lame may come. No man whose face is scarred or whose body is twisted may come. ¹⁹No man who has a broken foot or a broken hand may come. ²⁰No man who has a hunched back or who is a dwarf may come. No man with a bad eye, a running rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle may come. ²¹No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a flaw may come near to offer the food offerings to the LORD. He has a flaw. So he must not come near to offer the food of his God. ²²He may eat the most holy food of his God. He may also eat the holy food. ²³But he has a flaw. So he must not go near the veil or come close to the altar. Then he will not make my holy places unholy. For I am the LORD who makes them holy.'" ²⁴Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.