Rules For Priests

1And the LORD 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:

2But 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,

3And for his sister a virgin, that is near unto him, who has had no husband; for her he may be defiled.

4But he shall not otherwise defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5They shall not make any bald place upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6They 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.

7They shall not take a wife that is a harlot, or is defiled; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

8You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God: he shall be holy unto you: for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy.

9And the daughter of any priest, if she defiles herself by playing the harlot, she defiles her father: she shall be burned with fire.

10And 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;

11Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

12Neither 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.

13And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

14A widow, or a divorced woman, or defiled, or a harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife.

15Neither shall he defile his descendants among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

16And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

17Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of your descendants in their generations that has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

18For whatsoever man he is that has a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or lame, or he that has a marred face, or any limb too long,

19Or a man that has a broken foot, or broken hand,

20Or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or that has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or is a eunuch;

21No man that has a blemish of the descendants of Aaron the priest shall come near to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he has a blemish; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

22He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

23Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come near unto the altar, because he has a blemish; that he defile not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

24And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.