Rules for Priests

21 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron,^(A) and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean^(B) for any of his people who die,^{(C) 2} except for a close relative, such as his mother or father,^(D) his son or daughter, his brother, ³ or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean.^(E)

² “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease^[a](A) or a discharge^(B) of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean^(C) because of a dead body.^(D)

⁶ “‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body.^{(A) 7} Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean^(B) on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. ⁸ Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.

⁹ “‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication,^(C) they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing.^{(D) 10} Then on the eighth day^(E) they must bring two doves or two young pigeons^(F) to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.^{(G) 11} The priest is to offer one as a sin offering^[a](H) and the other as a burnt offering^(I) to make atonement^(J) for the Nazirite because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they are to consecrate their head again. ¹² They must rededicate themselves to the Lord for the same period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lamb^(K) as a guilt offering.^(L) The previous days do not count, because they became defiled during their period of dedication.