1The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron's sons, the priests: A priest is not to make himself unclean by touching the dead body of any of his relatives.

2The only exceptions are for his immediate family. This includes his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,

3or his unmarried sister since she is a close relative because she doesn't have a husband.

4He must not make himself unclean for those only related to him by marriage—he is not to make himself ceremonially impure.

5Priests are not to shave bald spots on their heads, trim the sides of their beards, or cut their bodies. ³⁴

6They must be holy to their God and not disgrace their God's reputation. They are the ones who present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God. Consequently they must be holy.

7A priest is not to marry a woman made unclean through prostitution ³⁵or who is divorced by her husband, for the priest must be holy to his God.

8You shall consider him holy because he presents the food offerings to your God. He shall be holy to you, because I am holy. I am the Lord, and I chose you as my special people. ³⁶

9A priest's daughter who makes herself unclean through prostitution makes her father unclean. She must be executed by burning.

10The high priest has the highest place among the other priests. He has been anointed with olive oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly clothing. He must not leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothes. ³⁷

11He is not to go near any dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even if it is for his own father or mother.

12He must not leave to deal with someone who has died ³⁸or make the sanctuary of his God unclean because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.

13He can only marry a virgin.

14He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one made unclean through prostitution. He has to marry a virgin from his own people,

15so that he doesn't make his children unclean among his people, ³⁹for I am the Lord who makes him holy.”

16The Lord told Moses,

17“Tell Aaron: These rules apply for all future generations. If any of your descendants has a physical defect, he is not allowed to come and present the food offerings of his God.

18No man is allowed to do this if he has any defects, including anyone who is blind, crippled, facially disfigured, or has deformities,

19anyone who has a broken foot or arm,

20anyone who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has cataracts, skin sores or scabs, or a damaged testicle.

21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect is allowed to come and present the food offerings to the Lord. Because he has a defect, he must not come and offer the food of his God.

22He is still allowed to eat the food from the Most Holy Place of his God and also from the sanctuary,

23but because he has a defect, he is not allowed to go near the curtain or the altar, so that my sanctuary and everything in it ⁴⁰are not made unclean, because I am the Lord who makes them holy.”

24Moses repeated this to Aaron and his sons, and to all the Israelites.