1 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘ No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,

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 e xcept for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother and his father and his son and his daughter and his brother,

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 a lso for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.

and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.

4 H e shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself.

He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5 T hey shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh.

“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 T hey shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the Lord, the food of their God; so they shall be holy.

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 T hey shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.

“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. They shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.

8 Y ou shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy.

You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.

9 A lso the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.

“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

10 ‘ The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes;

“‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes.

11 n or shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself even for his father or his mother;

He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father, or for his mother.

12 n or 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 on him; I am the Lord.

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 H e shall take a wife in her virginity.

“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.

14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people,

A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife.

15 s o that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.’”

He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.’”

16 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

17 “ Speak to Aaron, saying, ‘No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the food of his God.

“Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.

18 F or no one who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb,

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 o r a man who has a broken foot or broken hand,

or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,

20 o r a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles.

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 N o man among the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a defect is to come near to offer the Lord’s offerings by fire; since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God.

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 H e may eat the food of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy,

He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

23 o nly he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect, so that he will not profane My sanctuaries. For I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”

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 S o Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel.

So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.