⁴ “‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease^[a] or a bodily discharge,^(A) he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse^(B) or by anyone who has an emission of semen,

Rules for Priests

21 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron,^(A) and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean^(B) for any of his people who die,^(C)

¹³ “‘When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days^(A) for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean.^{(B) 14} On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons^(C) and come before the Lord to the entrance to the tent of meeting and give them to the priest. ¹⁵ The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering^[a](D) and the other for a burnt offering.^(E) In this way he will make atonement before the Lord for the man because of his discharge.^(F)

¹⁶ “‘When a man has an emission of semen,^(G) he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening.^(H)

² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any man has an unusual bodily discharge,^(A) such a discharge is unclean. ³ Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness:

³⁹ “‘If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies,^(A) anyone who touches its carcass^(B) will be unclean till evening.

¹¹ “Whoever touches a human corpse^(A) will be unclean for seven days.^{(B) 12} They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day;^(C) then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.^{(D) 13} If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse,^(E) they defile the Lord’s tabernacle.^(F) They must be cut off from Israel.^(G) Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean;^(H) their uncleanness remains on them.

¹⁴ “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, ¹⁵ and every open container^(I) without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

¹⁶ “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death,^(J) or anyone who touches a human bone^(K) or a grave,^(L) will be unclean for seven days.^(M)

¹⁹ Whatever is set aside from the holy^(A) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt^(B) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

⁹ You are to have the part of the most holy offerings^(A) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain^(B) or sin^[a](C) or guilt offerings,^(D) that part belongs to you and your sons.

²² He may eat the most holy food of his God,^(A) as well as the holy food;