Leviticus 21

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1. 1The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people,
2. 2except for a close relative — his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, or his brother.
3. 3He may also become unclean for his unmarried sister who is close to him and has had no husband.
4. 4But as a chief man among his people, he must not make himself unclean and profane himself.
5. 5Priests must not shave their heads, trim the edges of their beards, or cut their bodies.
6. 6They must be holy to their God and must not dishonor the name of their God. Since they are the ones who present the offerings made by fire to the LORD — the food of their God — they must be holy.
7. 7A priest must not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been dishonored. He must not marry a divorced woman either, because he is holy to his God.
8. 8You must treat the priest as set apart, because he offers the food of your God. He must be holy to you, because I, the LORD who makes you holy, am holy.
9. 9If a priest's daughter dishonors herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father. She must be burned with fire.
10. 10The high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to put on the garments, must not uncover his head or tear his clothes.
11. 11He must not go near any dead body. He must not make himself unclean even for his own father or mother.
12. 12He must not leave the sanctuary or dishonor the sanctuary of his God, because the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the LORD.
13. 13He must marry a woman who is a virgin.
14. 14He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, a dishonored woman, or a prostitute. He may only marry a virgin from his own people.
15. 15He must not dishonor his children among his people, because I am the LORD who makes him holy."
16. 16The LORD also spoke to Moses and said,
17. 17Tell Aaron: Throughout all future generations, no descendant of yours who has a physical defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.
18. 18No one with a defect may approach — whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed,
19. 19or has a crippled foot or a crippled hand,
20. 20or is hunchbacked, or is a dwarf, or has a defective eye, or has a skin disease, or has scabs, or has damaged testicles.
21. 21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a physical defect may come near to present the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Because he has a defect, he must not approach to offer the food of his God.
22. 22He may still eat the food of his God, including both the most holy portions and the holy portions.
23. 23But he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, because his defect would dishonor my sanctuary. I am the LORD who makes these things holy."
24. 24Moses delivered all of this to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the people of Israel.