Add parallel Print Page Options

Rules for Priestly Conduct

21 Then the Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, but for his closest relatives, that is, for his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, and his virgin sister (who is near him because she has not had a husband), for her he may be made unclean. And he shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people because of the dead and so defile himself.

They shall not make bald areas on their heads, nor shall they shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh. They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the food of their God. Therefore they shall be holy.

They shall not take a wife who is a whore or has been defiled, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband, for he is holy unto his God. You shall sanctify him, for he offers the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy.

The daughter of any priest, if she defiles herself by being a whore, she also defiles her father. She shall be burned with fire.

10 He who is the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not dishevel his hair, nor tear his clothes; 11 nor shall he approach any dead body, nor make himself unclean, even for his father or his mother; 12 nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, so as not to defile the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord.

13 He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a defiled woman, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take for a wife a virgin of his own people, 15 so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.

Read full chapter

21 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people; except for his kin, that is near unto him, 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 near unto him, that hath had no husband; for her may he defile himself. He shall not defile himself, [a]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 unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or [b]profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee; for I Jehovah, who sanctify you, am holy. And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and [c]that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor rend his clothes; 11 neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; 12 neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the [d]crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am Jehovah. 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 A widow, or one divorced, or a [e]profane woman, a harlot, these shall he not take: but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife. 15 And he shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 21:4 Or, as a husband
  2. Leviticus 21:7 Or, polluted
  3. Leviticus 21:10 Hebrew whose hand is filled.
  4. Leviticus 21:12 Or, consecration
  5. Leviticus 21:14 Or, polluted