Leviticus 21
Leviticus chapter 21 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 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.
2 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,
3 and offrith the looues of settyng forth; therfor be he hooly, for Y am the hooli Lord that halewith you.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="4"><sup>4</sup> 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.
5 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,
6 and outirli he schal not entre to ony deed man; and he schal not be defoulid on his fadir and modir,
7 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.
8 He schal wedde a wijf virgyn;
9 he schal not take a widewe, and forsakun, and a foul womman, and hoore, but a damesele of his puple;
10 medle he not the generacioun of his kyn to the comyn puple of his folk, for Y am the Lord, that halewe hym.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="11"><sup>11</sup> And the Lord spak to Moyses,</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="12"><sup>12</sup> and seide, Speke thou to Aaron; a man of thi seed, bi meynes, that hath a wem, schal not offre breed to his God,</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="13"><sup>13</sup> nethir schal neiy to his seruyce;</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="14"><sup>14</sup> 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;
15 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.
16 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;</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="17"><sup>17</sup> netheles he schal ete the looues that ben offrid in the seyntuarie,</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="18"><sup>18</sup> 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.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="19"><sup>19</sup> Therfor Moises spak to Aaron, and to hise sones, and to al Israel, alle thingis that weren comaundid to hym.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="21"><sup>21</sup> And the Lord spak to Moises, and seide, Speke thou to Aaron and to hise sones,</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="22"><sup>22</sup> that thei be war of these thingis of the sones of Israel, whiche thingis ben halewid; and that they defoule not the name of thingis halewid to me, whiche thingis thei offren; Y am the Lord.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="23"><sup>23</sup> Seie thou to hem, and to the aftir comeris of hem, Ech man of youre kynrede, which man neiyeth to tho thingis that ben halewid, and whiche thingis the sones of Israel offreden to the Lord, in which man is vnclennesse, schal perische bifor the Lord; Y am the Lord.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="24"><sup>24</sup> A man of the seed of Aaron, which man is leprouse, ethir suffrith `fletyng out of seed, schal not ete of these thingis, that ben halewid to me, til he be heelid. He that touchith an vncleene thing on a deed bodi, and fro whom the seed as of leccherie goith out, and which touchith a crepynge beeste,