1 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ^a‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,  ‡

2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

3 also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself.

4 Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a¹ chief man among his people, to profane himself.  ‡

5 ^a‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh.  ‡

6 They shall be ^aholy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the ^bbread of their God; ^ctherefore they shall be holy.  ‡

7 ^aThey shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman ^bdivorced from her husband; for¹ the priest is holy to his God.  ‡