Home Master Index
←Prev   Leviticus 18 as rendered by/in  Next→ 



18:1  The Lord said to Moses,
18:2  ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “I am the Lord your God.
18:3  You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.
18:4  You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God.
18:5  Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.
18:6  ‘“No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
18:7  ‘“Do not dishonour your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
18:8  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonour your father.
18:9  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
18:10  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonour you.
18:11  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
18:12  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.
18:13  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s close relative.
18:14  ‘“Do not dishonour your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
18:15  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.
18:16  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonour your brother.
18:17  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18:18  ‘“Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
18:19  ‘“Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
18:20  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with your neighbour’s wife and defile yourself with her.
18:21  ‘“Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
18:22  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
18:23  ‘“Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.
18:24  ‘“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
18:25  Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
18:26  But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things,
18:27  for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled.
18:28  And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
18:29  ‘“Everyone who does any of these detestable things – such persons must be cut off from their people.
18:30  Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practised before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.”’