Add parallel Print Page Options

20 “They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow too long. Instead, they must trim it regularly.

Read full chapter

20 “‘They must not shave(A) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.(B)

Read full chapter

“They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.

Read full chapter

“‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor(A) may be used on their head.(B) They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.

Read full chapter

14 Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?

Read full chapter

14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

Read full chapter

Ceremonially Clean and Unclean Animals

14 “Since you are the people of the Lord your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead.

Read full chapter

Clean and Unclean Food(A)

14 You are the children(B) of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,

Read full chapter

“The priests must not shave their heads or trim their beards or cut their bodies. They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the Lord, gifts of food for their God.

“Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God. You must treat them as holy because they offer up food to your God. You must consider them holy because I, the Lord, am holy, and I make you holy.

“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death.

10 “The high priest has the highest rank of all the priests. The anointing oil has been poured on his head, and he has been ordained to wear the priestly garments. He must never leave his hair uncombed[a] or tear his clothing. 11 He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother. 12 He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.

13 “The high priest may marry only a virgin. 14 He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan, 15 so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the Lord who makes him holy.”

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, 17 “Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. 18 No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, 19 or has a broken foot or arm, 20 or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. 22 However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings. 23 Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy.”

24 So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 21:10 Or never uncover his head.

“‘Priests must not shave(A) their heads or shave off the edges of their beards(B) or cut their bodies.(C) They must be holy to their God(D) and must not profane the name of their God.(E) Because they present the food offerings to the Lord,(F) the food of their God,(G) they are to be holy.(H)

“‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands,(I) because priests are holy to their God.(J) Regard them as holy,(K) because they offer up the food of your God.(L) Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy.(M)

“‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.(N)

10 “‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head(O) and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments,(P) must not let his hair become unkempt[a] or tear his clothes.(Q) 11 He must not enter a place where there is a dead body.(R) He must not make himself unclean,(S) even for his father or mother,(T) 12 nor leave the sanctuary(U) of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil(V) of his God. I am the Lord.

13 “‘The woman he marries must be a virgin.(W) 14 He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.’”

16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect(X) may come near to offer the food of his God.(Y) 18 No man who has any defect(Z) may come near: no man who is blind(AA) or lame,(AB) 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.(AC) 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect(AD) is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord.(AE) He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.(AF) 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God,(AG) as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect,(AH) he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary.(AI) I am the Lord, who makes them holy.(AJ)’”

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

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 21:10 Or not uncover his head