16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may (A)approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man (B)blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face (C)or a limb too long, 19 or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a (D)defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or (E)crushed testicles. 21 No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to (F)offer the Lord's food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 He may eat the bread of his God, both of (G)the most holy and of the (H)holy things, 23 but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not (I)profane my sanctuaries,[a] (J)for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” 24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 21:23 Or my holy precincts

16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect(A) may come near to offer the food of his God.(B) 18 No man who has any defect(C) may come near: no man who is blind(D) or lame,(E) disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.(F) 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect(G) is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord.(H) He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.(I) 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God,(J) as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect,(K) he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary.(L) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(M)’”

24 So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

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