the Fourth Week of Advent
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Bishop's Bible
Leviticus 21
1 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses, Speake vnto the priestes the sonnes of Aaron, & say vnto them: Let none be defiled by a corse among his people:2 But by his kynsman that is nye vnto him, [that is] by his mother and his father, by his sonne, and his daughter, and his brother,3 And by his sister a mayde that is nye vnto hym, whom no man hath knowe: for her shall he be defiled.4 But he shall not be defiled vpon hym that hath aucthoritie among his people, to pollute him selfe.5 Let them not make baldnesse vpon their head, nor shaue of ye lockes of their bearde, nor make any cuttinges in their fleshe.6 They shalbe holy vnto their God, and not pollute the name of their God, for the sacrifices of the Lorde made by fire, [and] the bread of their God they do offer, therfore they shall be holy.7 Let them not take a wyfe that is an whore, or polluted, nor put from her husband: for such a one is holy vnto his god.8 Thou shalt sanctifie hym therfore, for he offereth vp the bread of thy God: he shall therefore be holy vnto thee, for I the Lorde which sanctifie you, am holy.9 If a priestes daughter fall to play the whore, she polluteth her father, therefore must she be burnt with fire.
10 He that is the hie priest among his brethren, vpon whose head the annoynting oyle was powred, and that consecrated his hand to put on ye vestments, shal not vncouer his head, nor rent his clothes:11 Neither go to any dead body, nor make hymselfe vncleane by his father or his mother.12 Neither shall go out of the sanctuarie, nor pollute the holy place of his God, for the crowne of the annoynting oyle of his God, is vpon him: I am the Lord.13 He shall take a mayde vnto his wife.14 But a wydowe, a deuorsed woman, or a polluted, or a harlot, these shall he not marrie: but shall take a mayde of his owne people to wyfe.15 Neither shal he defile his seede among his people: for I am the Lorde whiche sanctifie hym.
16 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses, saying:17 Speake vnto Aaron, and say: Whosoeuer of thy seede in their generations hath any deformitie, let hym not prease for to offer bread vnto his God:18 For whosoeuer hath any blemishe, shall not come neare: as if he be blynde or lame, or that hath a brused nose, or that hath any misshapen member:19 Or is broken footed, or broken handed,20 Or is crooke backt, or bleare eyed, or haue a webbe or other blemishe in his eyes, or be skuruie, or skabbed, or hath his stones broken:21 No man that hath a blemishe, & is of the seede of Aaron the priest, shall come nye to offer the sacrifices of the Lorde made by fire: When he hath a deformitie, let him not prease to offer the bread of his God.22 Let him eate the bread of his God, euen of the most holy, and of the holy:23 Only let him not go in vnto ye vayle, nor come nye the aulter, because he is deformed, that he pollute not my sanctuarie: for I am the Lorde that sanctifie them.24 And Moyses tolde it vnto Aaron and to his sonnes, and vnto all the chyldren of Israel.