21Leviticus 21

1And 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,Select Leviticus 21:1

2no but oneli in kynesmen and niy of blood, that is, on fadir and modir, and sone and douyter,Select Leviticus 21:2

3and brother and sister, virgyn, which is not weddid to man;Select Leviticus 21:3

4but nether he schal be defoulid in the prince of his puple.Select Leviticus 21:4

5Preestis schulen not schaue the heed, nether beerd, nether thei schulen make keruyngis in her fleischis; thei schulen be hooli to her God,Select Leviticus 21:5

6and 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.Select Leviticus 21:6

7A 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,Select Leviticus 21:7

8and offrith the looues of settyng forth; therfor be he hooly, for `Y am the hooli Lord that halewith you.Select Leviticus 21:8

9If the `doutir of a preest is takun in defoulyng of virgynite, and defoulith the name of hir fadir, sche schal be brent in flawmes.Select Leviticus 21:9

10The 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,Select Leviticus 21:10

11and outirli he schal not entre to ony deed man; and he schal not be defoulid on his fadir and modir,Select Leviticus 21:11

12nether 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.Select Leviticus 21:12

13He schal wedde a wijf virgyn;Select Leviticus 21:13

14he schal not take a widewe, and forsakun, and a foul womman, and hoore, but a damesele of his puple;Select Leviticus 21:14

15medle he not the generacioun of his kyn to the comyn puple of his folk, for Y am the Lord, that `halewe hym.Select Leviticus 21:15

16And the Lord spak to Moyses,Select Leviticus 21:16

17and seide, Speke thou to Aaron; a man of thi seed, bi meynes, that hath a wem, schal not offre breed to his God,Select Leviticus 21:17

18nethir schal neiy to his seruyce;Select Leviticus 21:18

19if 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;Select Leviticus 21:19

20if 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.Select Leviticus 21:20

21Ech 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;Select Leviticus 21:21

22netheles he schal ete the looues that ben offrid in the seyntuarie,Select Leviticus 21:22

23so 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.Select Leviticus 21:23

24Therfor Moises spak to Aaron, and to hise sones, and to al Israel, alle thingis that weren comaundid to hym.Select Leviticus 21:24