God's New Bible

The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version

- Chapter 21 -

1
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people,
2
except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,
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and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
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He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
5
“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.
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They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the bread of their God. Therefore they shall be holy.
7
“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.
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Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.
9
“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.
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“‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes.
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He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his mother.
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He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the LORD.
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“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.
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He shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute. He shall take a virgin of his own people as a wife.
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He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.’”

Restrictions against Those with Blemishes

16
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
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Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.
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For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,
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or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,
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or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles.
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No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
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He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”
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So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.
1
And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
2
But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
3
And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
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But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.(a)
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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.
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They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
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They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
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Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord , which sanctify you, am holy.
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And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
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And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
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Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
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Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord .
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And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
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A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
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Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the Lord do sanctify him.

Restrictions against Those with Blemishes

16
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
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Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.(b)
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For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
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Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
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Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;(c)
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No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
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He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the Lord do sanctify them.
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And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

Footnotes

(a)21:4 he…: or, being an husband among his people, he shall not defile himself for his wife, etc
(b)21:17 bread: or, food
(c)21:20 a dwarf: or, too slender