10. “The high priest was chosen from among his brothers. The anointing oil was poured on his head. In this way he was chosen for the special job of being high priest. He was chosen to wear the special clothes, so he must not do things to show his sadness in public. He must not let his hair grow wild. He must not tear his clothes.
11. He must not make himself unclean by touching a dead body. He must not go near a dead body, even if it is his own father or mother.
12. The high priest must not leave God’s holy place, because he might become unclean and then make God’s holy place unclean. The anointing oil was poured on the high priest’s head. This separated him from the rest of the people. I am the Lord.
13. “The high priest must marry a woman who is a virgin.
14. He must not marry a woman who has had sexual relations with any man. He must not marry a prostitute, a divorced woman, or a widow. The high priest must marry a virgin from his own people.
15. In this way people will show respect for his children. I, the Lord, have separated the high priest for his special work.”
16. The Lord said to Moses,
17. “Tell Aaron: If any of your descendants have anything wrong with them, they must not carry the special bread to God.
18. Any man who has something wrong with him must not serve as priest and bring sacrifices to me. These men cannot serve as priests: blind men, crippled men, men with bad scars on their faces, men with arms or legs that are too long,
19. men with broken feet or hands,
20. men with bent backs, men who are dwarfs, men who are cross-eyed, men with rashes or bad skin diseases, and men with crushed testicles.
21. “If one of Aaron’s descendants has something wrong with him, he cannot approach the altar to bring gifts to the Lord. And he cannot carry the special bread to God.
22. He is from the family of priests, so he can eat the holy bread. He can also eat the very holy bread.
23. But he cannot go through the curtain into the Most Holy Place and he cannot go near the altar. This is because he has something wrong with him. He must not make my holy places unholy. I am the Lord, and I make these places holy.”