Study Desk

"Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God.

He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother.

He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord .

so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the Lord who makes him holy."

Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy."

"Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on my holy name. I am the Lord .

or by touching a small animal that is unclean, or by touching someone who is ceremonially unclean for any reason.

When the sun goes down, he will be ceremonially clean again and may eat from the sacred offerings, for this is his food.

He may not eat an animal that has died a natural death or has been torn apart by wild animals, for this would defile him. I am the Lord .

"The priests must follow my instructions carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for their sin and will die for violating my instructions. I am the Lord who makes them holy.

However, if the priest buys a slave for himself, the slave may eat from the sacred offerings. And if his slaves have children, they also may share his food.

"Any such person who eats the sacred offerings without realizing it must pay the priest for the amount eaten, plus an additional 20 percent.

and you must not accept such an animal from foreigners and then offer it as a sacrifice to your God. Such animals will not be accepted on your behalf, for they are mutilated or defective."

"When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it must be left with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a special gift to the Lord .

"You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord .

Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy.

"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the Lord 's appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly.

"You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord 's Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.

"In addition to the Sabbath, these are the Lord 's appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year.

On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast.