Leviticus 18

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am Jehovah your God.

“Speak to the Israelites and tell 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 customs.

You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs.

4 Mine ordinances shall ye do and my statutes shall ye observe to walk therein: I am Jehovah your God.

You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.

5 And ye shall observe my statutes and my judgments, by which the man that doeth them shall live: I am Jehovah.

Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

6 No one shall approach to any that is his near relation, to uncover his nakedness: I am Jehovah.

None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.

7 The nakedness of thy father, and the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother: thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; it would dishonor your father.

9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, born at home, or born abroad — their nakedness shalt thou not uncover.

You must 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.

10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter — their nakedness shalt thou not uncover; for theirs is thy nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for that would shame your family.

11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father: she is thy sister: thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

12 The nakedness of thy father's sister shalt thou not uncover: she is thy father's near relation.

You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

13 The nakedness of thy mother's sister shalt thou not uncover; for she is thy mother's near relation.

You must not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.

14 The nakedness of thy father's brother shalt thou not uncover; thou shalt not approach his wife: she is thine aunt.

You must not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations with her; she is your aunt.

15 The nakedness of thy daughter-in-law shalt thou not uncover: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sexual relations with her.

16 The nakedness of thy brother's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy brother's nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.

17 The nakedness of a woman and her daughter shalt thou not uncover; thou shalt not take her son's daughter, nor her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness: they are her near relations: it is wickedness.

You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved.

18 And thou shalt not take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness beside her, during her life.

You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.

19 And thou shalt not approach a woman in the separation of her uncleanness to uncover her nakedness.

You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.

20 And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to become unclean with her.

You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.

21 And thou shalt not give of thy seed to let them pass through [the fire] to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.

You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

22 And thou shalt not lie with mankind as one lieth with a woman: it is an abomination.

You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.

23 And thou shalt lie with no beast to become unclean therewith; and a woman shall not stand before a beast to lie down with it: it is confusion.

You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.

24 Make not yourselves unclean in any of these things; for in all these have the nations which I am casting out before you made themselves unclean.

Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.

25 And the land hath become unclean; and I visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomiteth out its inhabitants.

Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.

26 But ye shall observe my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of all these abominations: the home-born, and the stranger that sojourneth among you;

But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you.

27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, who were before you, and the land hath been made unclean);

For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.

28 that the land vomit you not out, when ye make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.

29 For whoever committeth any of these abominations, ...the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

Therefore anyone who commits any of these abominations must be cut off from among his people.

30 And ye shall observe my charge, that ye commit not [any] of the abominable customs which were committed before you; and ye shall not make yourselves unclean therein: I am Jehovah your God.

You must keep My charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.”