Regler for præsterne
1Herren sagde endvidere til Moses: „Sig til præsterne, at de ikke må gøre sig selv urene ved at røre et lig, 2-3medmindre det drejer sig om en nær slægtning: en mor, en far, en søn, en datter, en bror eller en ugift søster, som han har ansvaret for, siden hun ikke har nogen mand. 4Som leder blandt sit folk skal han passe på ikke at gøre sig selv uren.21,4 Den hebraiske tekst er uklar.
5Præsterne må ikke klippe sig skaldede noget sted på hovedet eller barbere deres kindskæg af. De må heller ikke lave ridser i huden eller tatoveringer. 6I Guds øjne skal de være hellige, og de må ikke krænke ham eller bringe skam over hans navn. Det er jo dem, der er udvalgt til at bringe ildofre til Herren, og de ofre skal kunne accepteres af deres Gud. 7En præst må ikke gifte sig med en prostitueret eller med en kvinde, som ikke er jomfru. Han må heller ikke gifte sig med en fraskilt, for han er en indviet Guds tjener, 8som er udvalgt til at bringe jeres ofre frem for Gud. Han skal være hellig, for jeg, Herren, som gør jer hellige, er selv hellig. 9Hvis en præstedatter bliver prostitueret, har hun krænket sin fars hellighed, og hun skal brændes.
10Ypperstepræsten, der er salvet og indviet til en særlig tjeneste, og som har fået lov at bære den ypperstepræstelige dragt, må ikke tage sin hovedbeklædning af og lade håret hænge løst eller rive flænger i sin dragt.21,10 Som tegn på sorg eller vrede. 11Han må heller ikke røre en død person, ikke engang sin egen mor eller far. 12Han må ikke krænke helligdommen ved at forlade den for at deltage i en begravelse, for han er salvet og indviet til at tjene Gud. Jeg er Herren. 13Den kvinde, han gifter sig med, skal være jomfru. 14-15Han må ikke gifte sig med en enke, og heller ikke med en fraskilt eller en prostitueret. Hans tilkommende skal være en jomfru fra hans egen præsteslægt, ellers ville hans sønner ikke være værdige til at overtage hans embede. Jeg er Herren, som gør ham hellig.”
16Og Herren sagde til Moses: 17„Sig til Aron, at hvis nogen af hans efterkommere har en legemsfejl, må vedkommende ikke bringe ofre til Gud. 18Ingen, der er blind eller lam, har et misdannet ansigt, en legemsdel, der er for lang, 19eller en forkrøblet fod eller hånd, 20er pukkelrygget eller dværg, eller har en fejl ved øjnene eller har udslæt, bylder eller deforme testikler, 21må bringe ofre ved Herrens alter, selv om han er en efterkommer af Aron. 22Men han må gerne spise af den mad, som tilkommer præsterne i forbindelse med ofringerne. 23På grund af sin fysiske defekt må han aldrig komme i nærheden af forhænget i helligdommen eller komme nær alteret, for derved ville han krænke helligdommen, og det er mig, Herren, som har gjort den hellig.”
24Moses gav så alle reglerne videre til Aron og hans sønner og alle israelitterne.
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: 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, 3And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled. 4But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.21.4 he…: or, being an husband among his people, he shall not defile himself for his wife, etc 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. 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. 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. 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.
9¶ And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
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; 11Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; 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. 13And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 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. 15Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.
16¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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.21.17 bread: or, food 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, 19Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, 20Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;21.20 a dwarf: or, too slender 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. 22He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 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. 24And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
