Holiness Required of Priests 1 UST Then Yahweh said to Moses,“Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and tell them that, as long as they live among the people of Israel, they must not make themselves impure by touching a dead body. BSB BSB: Then 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,
2 UST However, they may touch the dead bodies of their close relatives, such as their mother, father, son, daughter, or brother. BSB BSB: except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,
3 UST They may also touch the dead body of a sister if she is an unmarried virgin and has been living in their house, because she has no husband to bury her. For the sake of burying such a sister, the priests may become impure. BSB BSB: or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.
4 UST However, as long as they live among the people of Israel, the priests must not cause themselves to become impure by touching the dead bodies of his in- laws. Doing so would dishonor the priesthood and associate the God of Israel with impurity. BSB BSB: He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.
5 UST The priests of Israel must not participate in the mourning rituals of the nations who live around Israel. This means that they must not shave their heads or trim the edges of their beards or slash their bodies in grief. BSB BSB: Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
6 UST The priests of Israel must be people who are set apart to me, their God. They must not disgrace and tarnish my reputation, because they are the ones who present the gifts of food that the people of Israel will offer to Yahweh. For this reason, the priests of Israel must be set apart in their behavior. BSB BSB: They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God, they must be holy.
7 UST The priests of Israel must not marry a prostitute who has defiled herself or a woman who has divorced her husband, because the priests are set apart for God. BSB BSB: A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
8 UST You, Moses, should make sure that the priests of Israel are set apart to worship and serve me because they are the ones who present the food offerings to me, their God. You, Moses, should think of the priests as belonging to me, because I, Yahweh, am the one who set the priests apart to serve and worship me. I, Yahweh, am set apart from the impurity of the world. BSB BSB: You 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 UST If a daughter of a priest disgracefully becomes a prostitute she also disgraces her father. The Israelites must burn her to death. BSB BSB: If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
10 UST The high priest is the one among his relatives whom I have appointed for his work by pouring on his head the sacred olive oil that the priests use to dedicate people and objects wholly to Yahweh. The high priest is also the one whom God has given the responsibility of wearing the special clothes. He must not allow his hair to be uncombed, nor should he tear his clothes when he is mourning for a dead relative. BSB BSB: 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 priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments.
11 UST The high priest of Israel must not enter any place where there is a dead body. To do so would cause him to become impure and unable to perform his work. He should not touch a dead body, even if his father or his mother has died. BSB BSB: He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.
12 UST When one of his close relatives dies, the high priest must not leave the sacred tent to join those who are mourning because the sacred olive oil that you, Moses, have poured on his head has set him apart to serve and worship me. Leaving and mourning would cause him to become impure and unfit for his work and would also defile my sacred tent. Remember: I am Yahweh your God! BSB BSB: He 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 UST Remember, the priests of Israel should only marry women who have never had sexual relations. BSB BSB: The woman he marries must be a virgin.
14 UST The priests of Israel should not marry widows or divorced women or defiled prostitutes. Rather, they must only marry young, unmarried Israelite women. BSB BSB: He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,
15 UST If they do, their children will remain pure and able to be priests among the people of Israel. Remember: I am Yahweh, and I set the priests apart to serve and worship me.” BSB BSB: so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”
Restrictions against Those with Blemishes 16 UST Then Yahweh said to Moses, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
17 UST “Tell Aaron that no one of his descendants who suffers from a deformity or disability should ever present the food gifts that people offer to me, their God. BSB BSB: “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.
18 UST In fact, no one who suffers from a deformity or disability may approach my holy space and offer a sacrifice. This includes anyone who is blind, lame, whose face is disfigured, whose legs are of unequal lengths, BSB BSB: No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;
19 UST anyone who suffers from a disability in their feet or hands, BSB BSB: no man who has a broken foot or hand,
20 UST anyone who has a misshapen back, anyone who is abnormally short, has defective sight, has a skin disease of any kind, or whose genitals have been damaged. BSB BSB: or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.
21 UST No descendant of Aaron, the first high priest, who suffers from any disability or deformity should ever approach my altar to present the food gifts that the people of Israel offer to me, Yahweh. This is because he suffers from a disability or deformity. He must never present the food gifts that the people of Israel offer to me, their God. BSB BSB: No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the food offerings to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.
22 UST However, priests who suffer from disabilities or deformities may still eat any of the sacred food that I have set apart for the priests to eat. BSB BSB: He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food,
23 UST Despite this, because of their disabilities or deformities, such priests must not pass through the special curtain in the sacred tent or approach my altar. If they did that, they would cause my sacred tent to become impure and unfit for my presence. Remember: I am Yahweh, and I set these places apart for myself.” BSB BSB: but 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.’”
24 UST So Moses spoke to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites. BSB BSB: Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
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