Instructions for Priests
1 The Lord gave Moses these instructions for Aaron's sons, the priests:
Touching a dead body will make you unclean. So don't go near a dead relative, 2 except your mother, father, son, daughter, brother, 3 or an unmarried sister, who has no husband to take care of her. 4 Don't make yourself unclean by attending the funeral of someone related to you by marriage. 5 Don't shave any part of your head or trim your beard or cut yourself to show that you are mourning. 6 I am the Lord your God, and I have chosen you alone to offer sacrifices of food to me on the altar. That's why you must keep yourselves holy. 7 Don't marry a divorced woman or a woman who has served as a temple prostitute. You are holy, 8 because I am holy. And so, you must be treated with proper respect, since you offer food sacrifices to me, the God of holiness.
9 If any of you priests has a daughter who disgraces you by serving as a temple prostitute, she must be burned to death.
10 If you are the high priest, you must not mess up your hair or tear your clothes in order to mourn for the dead. 11 Don't make yourself unclean by going near a dead body, not even that of your own father or mother. 12 If you leave the sacred place to attend a funeral, both you and the sacred place become unclean, because you are the high priest.
13 If you are the high priest, you must marry only a virgin 14 from your own tribe. Don't marry a divorced woman or any other woman who has already had sex, including a temple prostitute. 15 In this way, your descendants will be qualified to serve me. Remember—I am the Lord, and I have chosen you.
16 The Lord told Moses 17-18 to say to Aaron:
No descendant of yours can ever serve as my priest if he is blind or lame, if his face is disfigured, if one leg is shorter than the other, 19 if either a foot or a hand is paralyzed, 20 if he is a hunchback or a dwarf, if an eye or his skin is diseased, or if his testicles have been damaged. 21 These men may not serve as my priests and burn sacrifices to me. 22 They may eat the food offerings presented to me, 23 but they may not enter the sacred place or serve me at the altar. Remember—I am the Lord, the one who makes a priest holy.
24 Moses told all of this to Aaron, his sons, and the people of Israel.
Par priesteru svētumu
(Ech 44:15–31)1 Kungs teica Mozum: “Saki priesteriem, Ārona dēliem: neviens no jums lai nepaliek nešķīsts, pieskardamies mironim no saviem ļaudīm, 2 izņemot pašus tuvākos – māti, tēvu, dēlu, meitu, brāli 3 un jaunavu māsu, kas viņam tuvākā, kurai nav vīra –, tikai tā viņš drīkst palikt nešķīsts. 4 Lai viņš nepadara sevi nešķīstu ar nevienu no pieprecētiem radiem, tā sevi sagānīdams. 5 Lai tie sev neskuj pliku galvvidu, lai neapgriež bārdai malu un savā miesā lai neiegriež brūces, 6 lai ir svēti Dievam un neapgāna sava Dieva vārdu, jo viņi pienes Kunga dedzināmos upurus, sava Dieva maizi, – lai viņi ir svēti! 7 Mauku un piesmieto lai viņi neņem, un šķirteni lai viņi neņem, jo viņi ir svēti savam Dievam. 8 Svētī viņu, jo viņš pienes tava Dieva maizi – viņš lai tev ir svēts, jo svēts esmu es, Kungs, kas jūs svētī. 9 Un, ja priestera meita sagānās maukodama, viņa ir apgānījusi savu tēvu, – lai to sadedzina ugunī.
10 Priesteris, kurš no saviem brāļiem ir augstākais, pār kura galvu ir lieta svaidāmā eļļa un kurš ir iecelts amatā, lai valkātu svētās drānas, lai neatstāj savu galvu nekoptu un lai nesaplēš savas drānas. 11 Lai viņš neiet ne pie viena miroņa, lai nepieskaras pat savam tēvam vai mātei, lai nekļūst nešķīsts. 12 Lai viņš neatstāj svētvietu un nesagāna sava Dieva svētvietu, jo viņš ir svaidīts ar sava Dieva svaidāmo eļļu – es esmu Kungs! 13 Lai viņš apņem sievu, kas jaunava! 14 Atraitni vai tādu, ko vīrs padzinis, vai ar maucību sagānītu – tādas lai viņš neņem, lai ņem sev par sievu jaunavu no paša ļaudīm. 15 Tā lai viņš nesagāna savu sēklu savā tautā, jo es esmu Kungs, kas viņu svētījis!”
16 Un Kungs sacīja Mozum: 17 “Saki Āronam: lai nevienā paaudzē neviens no taviem pēcnācējiem, kam kāda kroplība, netuvojas pienest maizi Dievam. 18 Neviens vīrs, kam ir kāda kroplība, lai netuvojas – ne akls, ne klibs, ne tāds, kam kroplība sejā vai kādā loceklī, 19 ne tāds, kam lauzta kāja vai lauzta roka, 20 vai kupris, vai kas izkastrēts, vai ar baltumu acī, vai kraupains, vai čūlains, vai kam saspiesti sēklinieki, – 21 neviens no priestera Ārona pēcnācējiem, kam kāda kroplība, lai nemēģina pienest Kungam dedzināmo upuri – ja viņam kroplība, tad lai nemēģina pienest Dievam maizi! 22 Viņš gan var ēst Dieva maizi no svētumu svētuma un svētvietas, 23 taču priekškaram lai viņš klāt nenāk un altārim netuvojas, jo viņam ir kroplība – lai viņš nesagāna svētumu, jo es esmu Kungs, kas to svētī!”
24 Tā Mozus runāja uz Āronu, uz viņa dēliem un uz visiem Israēla dēliem.
