The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXI.

[verse 1] And [Also A sec. m. BC.] 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, [verse 2] no but oneli in kynesmen [his kynesmen S.] and niȝ of blood, that is, on fadir and modir, and [Om. S.] [verse 3] sone and douȝter, and brother and sister, virgyn [a virgyn IS.] , which [that S.] is not weddid to man; [verse 4] but nether he schal be defoulid in the prince of his puple. [verse 5] Preestis schulen not schaue the [her IOS.] heed, nether beerd, nether thei schulen make keruyngis in her fleischis; [verse 6] thei schulen be hooli to her God, 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. [verse 7] A preest schal not wedde a [to IS.] wijf a corrupt womman, and a `foul hoore [strumpett IS.] , nether he schal wedde `hir that is [a wom|man IS.] for|sakun of the [hir IS.] hosebonde, for he [the preest IS.] is hale|wid [verse 8] to his God, and offrith [he offrith IS.] the looues of settyng forth [forth to be offrid S.] ; therfor be he [the preest IS.] hooly, for `Y am the hooli Lord [Y the Lord am holi I. Y the L. holi S.] that halewith [halewe BCIW.] ȝou. [verse 9] If the `doutir of a preest [doutir of the preest I. prestis douȝter S.] is takun in de|foulyng of virgynite, and defoulith the name of hir fadir, sche schal be brent in flawmes [fijr IS.] . [verse 10] The bischop, that is the moost preest among hise britheren, on [vpon IS.] whose heed the oile of anoyntyng is sched [held I.] , and whose hondis ben sacrid in preesthod, and he is clothid in hooli clothis [thingis A pr. m.] , schal [he schal IS.] not diskyuere his heed, he schal not tere hise [verse 11] clothis, and outirli he schal not entre to ony deed man; and he schal not be de|foulid [verse 12] on his fadir and modir, nether he schal go [not go L.] out of hooli thingis [placis IS.] , lest he defoule the seyntuarie of the Lord, for the oile of hooli anoyntyng of his God is on hym; Y am the [Om. IS.] Lord. [verse 13] He [a preest IS.] schal [verse 14] wedde a [to IS.] wijf virgyn [a virgyn IS.] ; he schal not take [wedde W.] a widewe, and forsakun [a forsakun womman IS.] , and [Om. G.] a [Om. BC.] foul wom|man, and hoore [de|foulid strumpett IS.] , but a damesele [virgyne IS.] of his [verse 15] puple; medle he not the generacioun of his kyn to the comyn puple of his folk, for Y am the Lord, that `halewe hym [halewith it I. halewith him S.] . [verse 16] And the

[verse 17] Lord spak to Moyses, and seide, Speke thou to Aaron; a man of thi seed, bi meynes, that hath a wem [wem, that is, a notable foulnesse BCGNQX.] , schal not offre [verse 18] breed to his God, nethir schal [he schal I.] neiȝ to his [verse 19] seruyce; if he is blind; if he is crokid; if he is ether of litil [a litil IS.] , ether of greet [a greet IS.] , and [or ILS.] wrong [a crokid IS.] nose; if he is `of brokun foot [broke footid IS.] , [verse 20] ethir hond; if he hath a botche [botche ether vnmesurable risyng in the brest ether in the bak BCGNQX. botche or a bouge on his bak S.] ; ether if he is blereiȝed; if he hath whijt colour [colour or a peerle IS.] in the [his IS.] iȝe, that lettith the [his IS.] siȝt; if he hath contynuel scabbe; if he hath a drye scabbe in the [his IS.] bodi; ethir `is brokun [if he be borsten IS.] `in the pryuy membris [in priuy membris I. Om. S.] . [verse 21] Ech man of the seed of Aaron preest [the preest IS.] , which [that IS.] man [Om. BIS.] hath a wem, schal not neiȝe to offre sacrifices to the Lord, [verse 22] nether `to offre [Om. I.] looues to his God; netheles he schal ete the looues that ben offrid in [verse 23] the seyntuarie, so oneli that he entre not with ynne the veil; he schal not neiȝe to the auter, for he hath a wem, and he schal not defoule my seyntuarie; Y am the [Om. IS.] Lord that halewe hem. [verse 24] Therfor Moises spak to Aaron, and to hise sones, and to al Israel, alle thingis that weren comaundid to hym.