Leviticus 18
New American Standard Bible
Laws on Immoral Relations
18 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(A)I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do [a]what is (B)done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do [b]what is (C)done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, [c]to live in accord with them; (D)I am the Lord your God. 5 So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, (E)which, if [d]a person [e]follows them, then he will live by them; I am the Lord.
6 ‘None of you shall approach any blood relative [f]of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord. 7 (F)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. 8 (G)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. 9 As for (H)the nakedness of your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born in the household or born outside the household, you shall not uncover their nakedness. 10 The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for [g]their nakedness is yours. 11 The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born to your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 12 (I)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s blood relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s blood relative. 14 (J)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 (K)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 (L)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. 17 (M)You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is an outrageous sin. 18 And you shall not [h]marry a woman in addition to her sister [i]as a second wife while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.
19 ‘(N)Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her (O)menstrual impurity. 20 And (P)you shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children (Q)to [j]offer them to Molech, nor shall you (R)profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. 22 (S)You shall not sleep with a male as [k]one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination. 23 (T)Also you shall not have sexual intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to [l]mate with it; it is a perversion.
24 ‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these things (U)the nations which I am driving out from you have become defiled. 25 For the land has become defiled, (V)therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land (W)has vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and you shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the stranger who resides among you 27 (for the people of the land who were there before you did all these abominations, and the land has become defiled), 28 so that the land will not vomit you out should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which was there before you. 29 For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. 30 So you are to keep (X)your [m]commitment to Me not to practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves with them; (Y)I am the Lord your God.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 18:3 Lit according to the deed of
- Leviticus 18:3 Lit according to the deed of
- Leviticus 18:4 Lit to walk in them
- Leviticus 18:5 Lit the person
- Leviticus 18:5 Lit does them
- Leviticus 18:6 Lit of his flesh
- Leviticus 18:10 Lit they are your nakedness
- Leviticus 18:18 Lit take
- Leviticus 18:18 Lit to be
- Leviticus 18:21 Lit make them pass over
- Leviticus 18:22 Lit a woman’s bed
- Leviticus 18:23 Or lie
- Leviticus 18:30 Lit obligation
Leviticus 18
King James Version
18 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the Lord your God.
3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.
6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.
7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
19 Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 18
Living Bible
18 1-2 The Lord then told Moses to tell the people of Israel,
“I am Jehovah your God, 3 so don’t act like the heathen—like the people of Egypt where you lived so long, or the people of Canaan where I am going to take you. 4-5 You must obey only my laws, and you must carry them out in detail, for I am the Lord your God. If you obey them, you shall live.[a] I am the Lord.
6 “None of you shall marry[b] a near relative, for I am the Lord. 7 Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother, 8 nor any other of your father’s wives. 9 Do not have intercourse with your sister or half sister, whether the daughter of your father or your mother, whether brought up in the same household or elsewhere.
10 “You shall not have intercourse with your granddaughter—the daughter of either your son or your daughter—for she is a close relative.[c] 11 You may not have intercourse with a half sister—your father’s wife’s daughter; 12 nor your aunt—your father’s sister—because she is so closely related to your father; 13 nor your aunt—your mother’s sister—because she is a close relative of your mother; 14 nor your aunt—the wife of your father’s brother.[d]
15 “You may not marry your daughter-in-law—your son’s wife; 16 nor your brother’s wife, for she is your brother’s.[e] 17 You may not marry both a woman and her daughter or granddaughter, for they are near relatives, and to do so is horrible wickedness. 18 You shall not marry two sisters, for they will be rivals. However, if your wife dies, then it is all right to marry her sister.
19 “There must be no sexual relationship with a woman who is menstruating; 20 nor with anyone else’s wife, to defile yourself with her.
21 “You shall not give any of your children to Molech, burning them upon his altar; never profane the name of your God, for I am Jehovah.
22 “Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin. 23 A man shall have no sexual intercourse with any female animal, thus defiling himself; and a woman must never give herself to a male animal, to mate with it; this is a terrible perversion.
24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for these are the things the heathen do; and because they do them, I am going to cast them out from the land into which you are going. 25 That entire country is defiled with this kind of activity; that is why I am punishing the people living there, and will throw them out of the land.[f] 26 You must strictly obey all of my laws and ordinances, and you must not do any of these abominable things; these laws apply both to you who are born in the nation of Israel and to foreigners living among you.
27 “Yes, all these abominations have been done continually by the people of the land where I am taking you, and the land is defiled. 28 Do not do these things or I will throw you out of the land, just as I will throw out[g] the nations that live there now. 29-30 Whoever does any of these terrible deeds shall be excommunicated from this nation. So be very sure to obey my laws, and do not practice any of these horrible customs. Do not defile yourselves with the evil deeds of those living in the land where you are going. For I am Jehovah your God.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 18:4 shall live, literally, “shall live in them” or “shall live by them.”
- Leviticus 18:6 marry, literally, “uncover the nakedness of,” that is, “have sexual intercourse with.”
- Leviticus 18:10 for she is a close relative, literally, “for theirs is your own nakedness.”
- Leviticus 18:14 nor your aunt—the wife of your father’s brother. This prohibition applied not only while her husband lived, but also after his death.
- Leviticus 18:16 for she is your brother’s. Except when the brother died and left no heir, in which case his wife was left to a brother to beget children for her to carry on the name and inheritance of the deceased. See Deuteronomy 25:5.
- Leviticus 18:25 and will throw them out of the land, literally, “the land vomits out her inhabitants.”
- Leviticus 18:28 or I will throw you out of the land, just as I will throw out, literally, “that the land vomit not you out also . . . as it vomited out.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.