Chapter 21

And the LORD said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:

But for his kin, that is near to him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,

And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh to him, who hath had no husband: for her he may be defiled.

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

They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

They shall not take a wife that is a lewd woman, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy to his God.

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy to thee: for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

And the daughter of any priest, if she shall profane herself by lewdness, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;

Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

Neither shall he 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 the LORD.

And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or a harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people for a wife.

Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Speak to Aaron, saying, whoever he may be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God:

For whatever man he may be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

Or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,

Or crooked-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his peculiar members broken:

No man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire; he hath a blemish, he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

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

Only he shall not go in to the vail, nor come nigh to the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he may not profane my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

And Moses told it to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.