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Journey Through the Bible

Leviticus 21:5-24

5 “‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.

6 They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the Lord by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.

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

8 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.

9 “‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.

10 “‘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.

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

12 nor 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.

13 “‘The woman he marries must be a virgin.

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

15 so he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.’”

16 The Lord said to Moses,

17 “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.

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

19 no man with a crippled foot or hand,

20 or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.

21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the Lord by fire. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.

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

23 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.’”

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

Cross References for Leviticus 21:5-24

Deuteronomy 14:1 - Clean and Unclean Food You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shav... Click to read the verse Deuteronomy 14:1 Click to read the verse Deuteronomy 14:1

Amos 8:10 - I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make ... Click to read the verse Amos 8:10 Click to read the verse Amos 8:10

Leviticus 10:6 - Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt... Click to read the verse Leviticus 10:6 Click to read the verse Leviticus 10:6

Ezra 9:3 - When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down a... Click to read the verse Ezra 9:3 Click to read the verse Ezra 9:3

Isaiah 22:12 - The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair ... Click to read the verse Isaiah 22:12 Click to read the verse Isaiah 22:12

Micah 1:16 - Shave your heads in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourselves as bald as t... Click to read the verse Micah 1:16 Click to read the verse Micah 1:16

Isaiah 15:2 - Dibon goes up to its temple, to its high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every... Click to read the verse Isaiah 15:2 Click to read the verse Isaiah 15:2

Leviticus 19:27 - “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. Click to read the verse Leviticus 19:27 Click to read the verse Leviticus 19:27

Jeremiah 16:6 - “Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will c... Click to read the verse Jeremiah 16:6 Click to read the verse Jeremiah 16:6

Jeremiah 48:37 - Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered ... Click to read the verse Jeremiah 48:37 Click to read the verse Jeremiah 48:37

Ezekiel 44:20 - “‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of... Click to read the verse Ezekiel 44:20 Click to read the verse Ezekiel 44:20

Leviticus 19:28 - “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. Click to read the verse Leviticus 19:28 Click to read the verse Leviticus 19:28

Leviticus 19:27-28 - “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. Click to read the verse Leviticus 19:27-28 Click to read the verse Leviticus 19:27-28

Jeremiah 47:5 - Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant on the plain, how lo... Click to read the verse Jeremiah 47:5 Click to read the verse Jeremiah 47:5

Ezekiel 27:31 - They will shave their heads because of you and will put on sackcloth. They will weep over you w... Click to read the verse Ezekiel 27:31 Click to read the verse Ezekiel 27:31

Ezekiel 5:1 - “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your... Click to read the verse Ezekiel 5:1 Click to read the verse Ezekiel 5:1