Vayikra (Lev) 21

Parashah 31: Emor (Speak) 21:1–24:23

1Adonai said to Moshe, “Speak to the cohanim, the sons of Aharon; tell them: ‘No cohen is to make himself unclean for any of his people who dies, 2except for his close relatives — his mother, father, son, daughter and brother; 3he may also make himself unclean for his virgin sister who has never married and is therefore dependent on him. 4He may not make himself unclean, because he is a leader among his people; doing so would profane him. 5Cohanim are not to make bald spots on their heads, mar the edges of their beards or cut gashes in their flesh. 6Rather, they are to be holy for their God and not profane the name of their God. For they are the ones who present Adonai with offerings made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore they must be holy.

7“‘A cohen is not to marry a woman who is a prostitute, who has been profaned or who has been divorced; because he is holy for his God. 8Rather, you are to set him apart as holy, because he offers the bread of your God; he is to be holy for you, because I, Adonai, who makes you holy, am holy. 9The daughter of a cohen who profanes herself by prostitution profanes her father; she is to be put to death by fire.

10“‘The cohen who is ranked highest among his brothers, the one on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who is consecrated to put on the garments, is not to stop grooming his hair, tear his clothes, 11go in to where any dead body is or make himself unclean, even when his father or mother dies. 12He may not leave the sanctuary then or profane the sanctuary of his God, because the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am Adonai.

13“‘He is to marry a virgin; 14he may not marry a widow, divorcee, profaned woman or prostitute; but he must marry a virgin from among his own people 15and not disqualify his descendants among his people; because I am Adonai, who makes him holy.’”

(ii) 16Adonai said to Moshe, 17“Tell Aharon, ‘None of your descendants who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18No one with a defect may approach — no one blind, lame, with a mutilated face or a limb too long, 19a broken foot or a broken arm, 20a hunched back, stunted growth, a cataract in his eye, festering or running sores, or damaged testicles — 21no one descended from Aharon the cohen who has such a defect may approach to present the offerings for Adonai made by fire; he has a defect and is not to approach to offer the bread of his God. 22He may eat the bread of his God, both the especially holy and the holy; 23only he is not to go in to the curtain or approach the altar, because he has a defect — so that he will not profane my holy places, because I am Adonai, who makes them holy.’”

24Moshe said these things to Aharon, his sons and all the people of Isra’el.

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Vayikra (Lev) 21: CJB

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Leviticus 21

The Holiness of the Priests

1The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Aaronite priests, “No priest is to make himself ritually unclean by taking part in the funeral ceremonies when a relative dies, 2unless it is his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, 3or unmarried sister living in his house. 4He shall not make himself unclean at the death of those related to him by marriage.#21.4: Verse 4 in Hebrew is unclear.

5 # Lv 19.27,28; Dt 14.1 “No priest shall shave any part of his head or trim his beard or cut gashes on his body to show that he is in mourning. 6He must be holy and must not disgrace my name. He offers food offerings to me, and he must be holy. 7A priest shall not marry a woman who has been a prostitute or a woman who is not a virgin or who is divorced; he is holy. 8The people must consider the priest holy, because he presents the food offerings to me. I am the Lord; I am holy and I make my people holy. 9If a priest's daughter becomes a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she shall be burned to death.

10“The High Priest has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been consecrated to wear the priestly garments, so he must not leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothes to show that he is in mourning. 11-12He has been dedicated to me and is not to make himself ritually unclean nor is he to defile my sacred Tent by leaving it and entering a house where there is a dead person, even if it is his own father or mother. 13He shall marry a virgin, 14not a widow or a divorced woman or a woman who has been a prostitute. He shall marry only a virgin from his own clan. 15Otherwise, his children, who ought to be holy, will be ritually unclean. I am the Lord and I have set him apart as the High Priest.”

16The Lord commanded Moses 17to tell Aaron, “None of your descendants who has any physical defects may present the food offering to me. This applies for all time to come. 18No man with any physical defects may make the offering: no one who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; 19no one with a crippled hand or foot; 20no one who is a hunchback or a dwarf; no one with any eye or skin disease; and no eunuch. 21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any physical defects may present the food offering to me. 22Such a man may eat the food offered to me, both the holy food offering and the very holy food offering, 23but because he has a physical defect, he shall not come near the sacred curtain or approach the altar. He must not profane these holy things, because I am the Lord and I make them holy.”

24This, then, is what Moses said to Aaron, the sons of Aaron, and to all the people of Israel.

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