Leviticus 21

1 And the Lord seide to Moyses, Speke thou to preestis, the sones of Aaron, and thou schalt seie to hem, A preest be not defoulid in the deed men of hise citeseyns,

The Lord also said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and you shall say to them: Do not allow a priest to be contaminated by the death of his citizens,

2 no but oneli in kynesmen and niy of blood, that is, on fadir and modir, and sone and douyter,

except only by his blood-relatives and near-relatives, that is, by a father or mother, or by a son or daughter, or also a brother,

3 and brother and sister, virgyn, which is not weddid to man;

or a virgin sister, who is not married to a husband.

4 but nether he schal be defoulid in the prince of his puple.

But not even by the leader of his people shall he be contaminated.

5 Preestis schulen not schaue the heed, nether beerd, nether thei schulen make keruyngis in her fleischis; thei schulen be hooli to her God,

Neither shall they shave their head or their beard, and they shall not make incisions in their flesh.

6 and thei schulen not defoule his name; for thei offren encense of the Lord, and the looues of her God, and therfore thei schulen be hooli.

They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not pollute his name. For they offer the incense of the Lord and the bread of their God, and because of this they shall be holy.

7 A preest schal not wedde a wijf a corrupt womman, and a `foul hoore, nether he schal wedde `hir that is forsakun of the hosebonde, for he is halewid to his God,

They shall not take as a wife a promiscuous woman, or a prostitute, or her who has been repudiated by her husband. For they are consecrated to their God,

8 and offrith the looues of settyng forth; therfor be he hooly, for `Y am the hooli Lord that halewith you.

and they offer the bread of the presence. Therefore, let them be holy, for I also am holy: the Lord, who sanctifies them.

9 If the `doutir of a preest is takun in defoulyng of virgynite, and defoulith the name of hir fadir, sche schal be brent in flawmes.

If the daughter of a priest will have been taken into prostitution, and will have violated the name of her father, she shall be consumed by fire.

10 The bischop, that is the moost preest among hise britheren, on whose heed the oile of anoyntyng is sched, and whose hondis ben sacrid in preesthod, and he is clothid in hooli clothis, schal not diskyuere his heed, he schal not tere hise clothis,

The high priest, that is, the priest who is the greatest among his brothers, upon whose head the oil of anointing has been poured, and whose hands have been consecrated for the priesthood, and who has been vested with the holy vestments: he shall not expose his head; he shall not rend his vestments.

11 and outirli he schal not entre to ony deed man; and he schal not be defoulid on his fadir and modir,

And he shall not enter to any dead body whatsoever; likewise, not even by his father or mother shall he be contaminated.

12 nether he schal go out of hooli thingis, lest he defoule the seyntuarie of the Lord, for the oile of hooli anoyntyng of his God is on hym; Y am the Lord.

Neither shall he exit from the holy places, lest he pollute the Sanctuary of the Lord. For the oil of the holy anointing of his God is upon him. I am the Lord.

13 He schal wedde a wijf virgyn;

He shall take a virgin as his wife.

14 he schal not take a widewe, and forsakun, and a foul womman, and hoore, but a damesele of his puple;

But a widow, or one who has been repudiated or defiled, or also a mistress, he shall not accept, but only a maiden from among his own people.

15 medle he not the generacioun of his kyn to the comyn puple of his folk, for Y am the Lord, that `halewe hym.

He shall not mingle the stock of his family with the common people of his nation. For I am the Lord, who sanctifies him.

16 And the Lord spak to Moyses,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

17 and seide, Speke thou to Aaron; a man of thi seed, bi meynes, that hath a wem, schal not offre breed to his God,

Say to Aaron: A man from your offspring, throughout their families, who has a blemish, shall not offer the bread to his God.

18 nethir schal neiy to his seruyce;

Neither shall he approach to minister to him: if he is blind, if he is lame, if he is small, or large, or has a crooked nose,

19 if he is blind; if he is crokid; if he is ether of litil, ether of greet, and wrong nose; if he is `of brokun foot, ethir hond;

if his foot or hand is broken,

20 if he hath a botche; ether if he is blereiyed; if he hath whijt colour in the iye, that lettith the siyt; if he hath contynuel scabbe; if he hath a drye scabbe in the bodi; ethir `is brokun `in the pryuy membris.

if he has a bulging back or bleary eyes, or if he has a white spot in his eye, or a chronic scab, or a skin disease on his body, or a hernia.

21 Ech man of the seed of Aaron preest, which man hath a wem, schal not neiye to offre sacrifices to the Lord, nether `to offre looues to his God;

Anyone from the offspring of Aaron, the priest, who has a blemish, shall not approach to offer sacrifices to the Lord, nor the bread to his God.

22 netheles he schal ete the looues that ben offrid in the seyntuarie,

Nevertheless, he shall eat from the loaves which are offered in the Sanctuary.

23 so oneli that he entre not with ynne the veil; he schal not neiye to the auter, for he hath a wem, and he schal not defoule my seyntuarie; Y am the Lord that halewe hem.

But even so, he may not enter within the veil, nor approach to the altar. For he has a blemish, and he must not contaminate my Sanctuary. I am the Lord, who sanctifies them.

24 Therfor Moises spak to Aaron, and to hise sones, and to al Israel, alle thingis that weren comaundid to hym.

Therefore, Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all of Israel, everything that had been commanded to him.