| Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron's sons, the priests, and tell them: A priest is not to make himself ceremonially unclean for a dead person among his relatives, | 1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people, |
| 2except for his immediate family: his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother. | 2except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, |
| 3He may make himself unclean for his unmarried virgin sister in his immediate family. | 3or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband. |
| 4He is not to make himself unclean for those related to him by marriage and so defile himself. | 4He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself. |
| 5"Priests may not make bald spots on their heads, shave the edge of their beards, or make gashes on their bodies. | 5Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies. |
| 6They are to be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they present the fire offerings to the LORD, the food of their God, and they must be holy. | 6They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy. |
| 7They are not to marry a woman defiled by prostitution. They are not to marry one divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. | 7A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. |
| 8You are to consider him holy since he presents the food of your God. He will be holy to you because I, the LORD who sets you apart, am holy. | 8You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart. |
| 9If a priest's daughter defiles herself by promiscuity, she defiles her father; she must be burned to death. | 9If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire. |
| 10"The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the clothes, must not dishevel his hair or tear his clothes. | 10The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments. |
| 11He must not go near any dead person or make himself unclean even for his father or mother. | 11He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother. |
| 12He must not leave the sanctuary or he will desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the LORD. | 12He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD. |
| 13"He is to marry a woman who is a virgin. | 13The woman he marries must be a virgin. |
| 14He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, | 14He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, |
| 15so that he does not corrupt his bloodline among his people, for I am the LORD who sets him apart." | 15so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.” |
| 16The LORD spoke to Moses: | 16Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 17"Tell Aaron: None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect is to come near to present the food of his God. | 17“Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God. |
| 18No man who has any defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed; | 18No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; |
| 19no man who has a broken foot or hand, | 19no man who has a broken foot or hand, |
| 20or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle. | 20or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle. |
| 21No descendant of the priest Aaron who has a defect is to come near to present the fire offerings to the LORD. He has a defect and is not to come near to present the food of his God. | 21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God. |
| 22He may eat the food of his God from what is especially holy as well as from what is holy. | 22He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food, |
| 23But because he has a defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. He is not to desecrate my holy places, for I am the LORD who sets them apart." | 23but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’ ” |
| 24Moses said this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. | 24Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. |
|
