וַיִּקְרָא

Leviticus — Chapter 21

The Holiness of the Priests

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Read Leviticus Chapter 21 in Biblical Hebrew alongside the King James Version (KJV) — 24 verses. The Holiness of the Priests. Original Hebrew text with vowel points (nikud) and full English translation.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו

KJVAnd 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:

The 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

כִּי אִם לִשְׁאֵרוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו לְאִמּוֹ וּלְאָבִיו וְלִבְנוֹ וּלְבִתּוֹ וּלְאָחִיו

KJVBut 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,

except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother

וְלַאֲחֹתוֹ הַבְּתוּלָה הַקְּרוֹבָה אֵלָיו אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיְתָה לְאִישׁ לָהּ יִטַּמָּא

KJVAnd for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean

לֹא יִטַּמָּא בַּעַל בְּעַמָּיו לְהֵחַלּוֹ

KJVBut he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself

לֹא יִקְרְחוּ קָרְחָה בְּרֹאשָׁם וּפְאַת זְקָנָם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּבִבְשָׂרָם לֹא יִשְׂרְטוּ שָׂרָטֶת

KJVThey shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies

קְדֹשִׁים יִהְיוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי אֶת אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֵם מַקְרִיבִם וְהָיוּ קֹדֶשׁ

KJVThey 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.

They 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

אִשָּׁה זֹנָה וַחֲלָלָה לֹא יִקָּחוּ וְאִשָּׁה גְּרוּשָׁה מֵאִישָׁהּ לֹא יִקָּחוּ כִּי קָדֹשׁ הוּא לֵאלֹהָיו

KJVThey 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.

They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God

וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ כִּי אֶת לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא מַקְרִיב קָדֹשׁ יִהְיֶה לָּךְ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם

KJVThou 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.

Regard 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

וּבַת אִישׁ כֹּהֵן כִּי תֵחֵל לִזְנוֹת אֶת אָבִיהָ הִיא מְחַלֶּלֶת בָּאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵף

KJVAnd the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire

וְהַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל מֵאֶחָיו אֲשֶׁר יוּצַק עַל רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וּמִלֵּא אֶת יָדוֹ לִלְבֹּשׁ אֶת הַבְּגָדִים אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לֹא יִפְרָע וּבְגָדָיו לֹא יִפְרֹם

KJVAnd 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;

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

וְעַל כָּל נַפְשֹׁת מֵת לֹא יָבֹא לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ לֹא יִטַּמָּא

KJVNeither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother

וּמִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא יֵצֵא וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֵת מִקְדַּשׁ אֱלֹהָיו כִּי נֵזֶר שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת אֱלֹהָיו עָלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָה

KJVNeither 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.

He must not 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

וְהוּא אִשָּׁה בִבְתוּלֶיהָ יִקָּח

KJVAnd he shall take a wife in her virginity.

The woman he marries must be a virgin

אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וַחֲלָלָה זֹנָה אֶת אֵלֶּה לֹא יִקָּח כִּי אִם בְּתוּלָה מֵעַמָּיו יִקַּח אִשָּׁה

KJVA 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.

He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people

וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדְּשׁוֹ

KJVNeither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

so he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

KJVAnd the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

The LORD said to Moses

דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר אִישׁ מִזַּרְעֲךָ לְדֹרֹתָם אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרַב לְהַקְרִיב לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו

KJVSpeak 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.

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

כִּי כָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרָב אִישׁ עִוֵּר אוֹ פִסֵּחַ אוֹ חָרֻם אוֹ שָׂרוּעַ

KJVFor 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,

No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed

אוֹ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ שֶׁבֶר רָגֶל אוֹ שֶׁבֶר יָד

KJVOr a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

no man with a crippled foot or hand

אוֹ גִבֵּן אוֹ דַק אוֹ תְּבַלֻּל בְּעֵינוֹ אוֹ גָרָב אוֹ יַלֶּפֶת אוֹ מְרוֹחַ אָשֶׁךְ

KJVOr crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

no man who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles

כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מוּם מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן לֹא יִגַּשׁ לְהַקְרִיב אֶת אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה מוּם בּוֹ אֵת לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו לֹא יִגַּשׁ לְהַקְרִיב

KJVNo 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.

No 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

לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו מִקָּדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים וּמִן הַקֳּדָשִׁים יֹאכֵל

KJVHe shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food

אַךְ אֶל הַפָּרֹכֶת לֹא יָבֹא וְאֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא יִגַּשׁ כִּי מוּם בּוֹ וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֶת מִקְדָּשַׁי כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדְּשָׁם

KJVOnly 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.

yet 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

וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל בָּנָיו וְאֶל כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

KJVAnd Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites