Leviticus 18

1 YHWH said to Moses,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am YHWH your God.

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.

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 You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am YHWH your God.

You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking 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 YHWH.

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

6 "'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am YHWH.

None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. 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 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 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; it would dishonor 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 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 "'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 must not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for that would shame your family.

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 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 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister: she is your father's flesh.

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

13 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister: for she is your mother's flesh

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

14 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, you shall not approach his wife: she is your aunt.

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

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 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 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's nakedness.

You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame 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 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 "'You shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet alive.

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 "'You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

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

20 "'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.

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

21 "'You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am YHWH.

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 "'You shall not have sexual relations with a male, as with a woman. That is detestable.

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

23 "'You shall not have sexual relations with any animal to become defiled with it, nor shall any woman give herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it. It is a perversion.

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 "'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 defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.

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

Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will 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;

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, that were before you, and the land became defiled);

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

28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, 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 shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do 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 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 YHWH 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.”