Leviticus 21
Parallel Chapters

Holiness Required of Priests

(1 Timothy 4:6-16)

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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,1And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people,1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,1And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: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,
2except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,2except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,2except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother and his father and his son and his daughter and his brother,2But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for 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 virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean).3also for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.3And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.3He may make himself unclean for his young unmarried sister in his immediate family.
4He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.4He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself.4'He shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself.4But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.4He is not to make himself unclean for those related to him by marriage and so defile himself."
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5"'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.5They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body.5'They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh.5They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.5Priests may not make bald spots on their heads, shave the edge of their beards, or make gashes on 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 shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.6'They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the LORD, the food of their God; so they shall be holy.6They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.6They are to be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they present the fire offerings to Yahweh, the food of their God, and 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.7They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.7'They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.7They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.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.
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 shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.8'You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy.8Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.8You are to consider him holy since he presents the food of your God. He will be holy to you because I, Yahweh who sets you apart, am holy.
9"'If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.9And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.9'Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.9And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.9If a priest's daughter defiles herself by promiscuity, she defiles her father; she must be burned up."
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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.10“The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.10'The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes;10And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend 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 garments, must not dishevel his hair 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 shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother.11nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself even for his father or his mother;11Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;11He must not go near any dead person or make himself unclean 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 shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the LORD.12nor shall he go out of the sanctuary nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the LORD.12Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.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 Yahweh."
13"'The woman he marries must be a virgin.13And he shall take a wife in her virginity.13'He shall take a wife in her virginity.13And he shall take a wife in her virginity.13He is to marry a woman who is 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,14A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people,14'A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people,14A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.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,
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15so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy.'"15that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”15so that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.'"15Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.15so that he does not corrupt his bloodline among his people, for I am Yahweh who sets him apart."
16The LORD said to Moses,16And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,16Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,16And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,16The LORD spoke 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“Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God.17"Speak to Aaron, saying, 'No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the food of his God.17Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.17Tell Aaron: None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect is to come near to present the food of his God.

Restrictions against Those with Blemishes

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18No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed;18For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long,18For no one who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb,18For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,18No man who has any defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed;
19no man with a crippled foot or hand,19or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand,19or a man who has a broken foot or broken hand,19Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,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 a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.20or a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles.20Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;20or who is a hunchback or a 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 man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD’s food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.21No man among the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a defect is to come near to offer the LORD'S offerings by fire; since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God.21No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.21No descendant of Aaron the priest 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.
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22He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food;22He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things,22He may eat the food of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy,22He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.22He may eat the food of his God from what is especially holy as well as from what is holy.
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 he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”23only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect, so that he will not profane My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.'"23Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.23But because he has a defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. He is not to desecrate My sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sets them apart."
24So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.24So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.24So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel.24And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.24Moses said this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.



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