Leviticus 18

1 The LORD said to Moses,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.

Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: I am the Lord your God.

3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes.

You shall not act according to the custom of the land of Egypt, in which you have lived; nor shall you behave according to the habit of the region of Canaan, into which I will lead you; neither shall you walk in their ordinances.

4 You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God.

You shall accomplish my judgments, and you shall observe my precepts, and you shall walk in them. I am the Lord your God.

5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am the LORD.

Keep my laws and judgments; when a man does these, he shall live by them. I am the Lord.

6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

No man shall approach her who is a close blood-relative to him, so as to uncover her nakedness. I am the Lord.

7 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

You shall not expose the nakedness of your father, or the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

8 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.

You shall not expose the nakedness of your father’s wife; for it is the nakedness of your father.

9 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, whether from father or from mother, whether she was born at home or abroad.

10 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness; for theirs is your own nakedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or your daughter’s daughter; for it is your own nakedness.

11 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, whom she bore to your father, and who is your sister.

12 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.

You shall not expose the nakedness of your father’s sister; for she is the flesh of your father.

13 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, because she is the flesh of your mother.

14 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, nor shall you approach his wife, who is joined to you by affinity.

15 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law, for she is your son’s wife; neither shall you expose her dishonor.

16 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; for it is the nakedness of your brother.

17 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near kinswomen. It is wickedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your wife and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, so as to uncover her dishonor; for they are her flesh, and such sexual intercourse is incest.

18 “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.

You shall not take your wife’s sister as a rival mistress; nor shall you uncover her nakedness, while your wife is still living.

19 “‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

You shall not approach a woman who is undergoing menstruation, nor shall you uncover her foulness.

20 “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.

You shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, nor shall you be defiled by the mingling of seed.

21 “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

You shall not give some of your seed to be consecrated to the idol Moloch, nor to pollute the name of your God. I am the Lord.

22 “‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.

You shall not commit sexual acts with a male, in place of sexual intercourse with a female, for this is an abomination.

23 “‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.

You shall not commit sexual acts with any animal, nor shall you be defiled by it. A woman shall not lie down with a beast, nor commit sexual acts with it; for this is wickedness.

24 “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.

Do not pollute yourselves with any of these things, by which all of the nations, which I will cast out in your sight, have been contaminated

25 The land was defiled. Therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.

and by which the land has been polluted. I will visit the wickedness of the land, so that it may vomit out its inhabitants.

26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you

Keep my ordinances and judgments, and do not do any of these abominations: the native born, as well as the settler, who sojourns among you.

27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled),

For all these detestable things were done by the inhabitants of the land who were here before you, and they have polluted it.

28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

Therefore, beware, lest in a similar manner, it may vomit you out as well, if you do these same things, just as it vomited out the people who were before you.

29 “‘For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.

Every soul who shall commit any of these abominations shall perish from the midst of his people.

30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.’”

Keep my commandments. Do not be willing to do the things which have been done by those who were before you, and do not be polluted by these things. I am the Lord your God.