Instructions for the Priests

21 The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

“A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative.

²⁵ “A priest must not defile himself by being in the presence of a dead person unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In such cases it is permitted.

¹⁴ “This is the ritual law that applies when someone dies inside a tent: All those who enter that tent and those who were inside when the death occurred will be ceremonially unclean for seven days.

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.

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed^[a] or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. ⁷ But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle^[b] or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded.

⁴ Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

A Warning to the Priests

2 “Listen, you priests—this command is for you!

The Failure of Israel’s Leaders

¹⁶ And if someone in an open field touches the corpse of someone who was killed with a sword or who died a natural death, or if someone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be defiled for seven days.

²⁸ “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.