| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, | 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 a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, | 2except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, |
| 3or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband--for her he may make himself unclean. | 3or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband. |
| 4He must not make himself unclean for people 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 must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut 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 must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the LORD, the food of their God, they are to 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. |
| 7"'They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. | 7A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. |
| 8Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy--I who make you 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. |
| 9"'If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire. | 9If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire. |
| 10"'The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt 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 enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not 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. |
| 12nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. 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"'The woman he marries must be a virgin. | 13The woman he marries must be a virgin. |
| 14He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only 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 will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy.'" | 15so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.” |
| 16The LORD said to Moses, | 16Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 17"Say to Aaron: 'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer 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 may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; | 18No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; |
| 19no man with a crippled foot or hand, | 19no man who has a broken foot or hand, |
| 20or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. | 20or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle. |
| 21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the LORD. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer 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 most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; | 22He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food, |
| 23yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.'" | 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.’ ” |
| 24So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. | 24Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. |
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