Leviticus 20

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord told Moses,

2 “Say to the people of Israel, 'Anyone among the people of Israel, or any foreigner who lives in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech, must certainly be put to death. The people in the land must stone him with stones.

“Tell the Israelites: these regulations are for both Israelites and foreigners living among them. Anyone who sacrifices their children to Molech must be executed. The community must stone them to death.

3 I also will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given his child to Molech, so as to defile my holy place and profane my holy name.

I will disown them and expel them from their people, because by sacrificing their children to Molech they have polluted my sanctuary and disgraced my reputation.

4 If the people of the land close their eyes to that man when he gives any of his children to Molech, if they do not put him to death,

If the community decides to look the other way and not execute those who sacrifice their children to Molech, then I will take action against them myself.

5 then I myself will set my face against that man and his clan, and I will cut him off and everyone else who prostitutes himself in order to play the harlot with Molech.

I will disown them and their family, and expel them from their people—and not just them, but everyone who follows them in spiritually prostituting themselves with Molech.

6 The person who turns to those who talk with the dead, or to those who talk with spirits so as to prostitute themselves with them, I will set my face against that person; I will cut him off from among his people.

I will also disown and expel from their people anyone who goes to mediums or spiritists and in this way commits spiritual prostitution with them.

7 Therefore consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am Yahweh your God.

So dedicate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.

8 You must keep my commands and carry them out. I am Yahweh who sets you apart as holy.

Keep my rules and put them into practice. I am the Lord who makes you holy.

9 Everyone who curses his father or his mother must surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, so he is guilty and deserves to die.

Anyone who curses their father or mother must be executed. They have cursed their father or mother; they bear the responsibility for their punishment.

10 The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, that is, anyone who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife—the adulterer and the adulteress must both certainly be put to death.

Any man who commits adultery with someone else's wife must be executed, as well as the woman.

11 If a man lies with his father's wife, he uncovers his father's nakedness. Both the son and his father's wife must certainly be put to death. Their blood is upon them.

A man who has sex with his father's wife has brought shame on his father. Both the man and the woman must be executed. Both must surely be put to death; they bear the responsibility for their punishment.

12 If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must certainly be put to death. They have committed perversion. They are guilty and deserve to die.

A man who has sex with his daughter-in-law must be executed, as well as the woman. They have done something perverse; they bear the responsibility for their punishment.

13 If a man sleeps with another man, as with a woman, both of them have done something detestable. They must surely be put to death. They are guilty and deserve to die.

Men who have sex with other men as with a woman have done something disgusting. They must be executed; they bear the responsibility for their punishment.

14 If a man marries a woman and also marries her mother, this is wickedness. They must be burned, both he and the women, so that there will be no wickedness among you.

A man who marries both a woman and her mother has acted perversely. They must all be burned to death so that there will be no such wickedness among you.

15 If a man sleeps with an animal, he must surely be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

A man who has sex with an animal must be executed, and the animal must be killed too.

16 If a woman approaches any animal to sleep with it, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must certainly be put to death. They are guilty and deserve to die.

A woman who gives herself to an animal to have sex with it must be executed, along with the animal. They must both be killed; they bear the responsibility for their punishment.

17 If a man sleeps with his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and he uncovers her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a shameful thing. They must be cut off from the presence of their people, because he has slept with his sister. He must carry his guilt.

A man who marries his sister, whether she's his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and they have sex, has done something shameful. They must be expelled from their people in front of everybody. He has brought shame on his sister; he bears the responsibility for his punishment.

18 If a man sleeps with a woman during her menstrual period and has slept with her, he has uncovered the flow of her blood, the source of her blood. Both the man and woman must be cut off from among their people.

A man who has sex with a woman having her period he has exposed where her blood flow comes from, and she has too. They must both be expelled from their people.

19 You must not sleep with your mother's sister, or with your father's sister, because you would disgrace your close relative. You must carry your own guilt.

Don't have sex with your aunt, whether on your father or your mother's side, because it brings shame on your own family. Both will bear responsibility for their sin.

20 If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will bear responsibility for their sin, and they will die without children.

A man who has sex with his uncle's wife brings shame on his uncle. They will bear responsibility for their sin; they shall die without having children.

21 If a man marries his brother's wife while his brother is still living, that is disgraceful. He has dishonored his brother, and I will take away from their children any property they may have inherited from their parents.

A man who marries his brother's wife does something that is unclean. He has brought shame on his brother; the couple will have no children.

22 You must therefore keep all my statutes and all my decrees; you must obey them so that the land into which I am bringing you to live will not vomit you up.

So keep all my rules and regulations, so that the land where I'm taking you to live won't vomit you out.

23 You must not walk in the customs of the nations that I will drive out before you, for they have done all these things, and I detest them.

Don't follow the practices of the nations I'm expelling for you. I detested them because they did all these evil things.

24 I said to you, “You will inherit their land; I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the other peoples.

But I have promised you that you will take over their land. I'm going to give it to you to own, a land that flows with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who has made you a distinctive people different from all others.

25 You must therefore distinguish between the clean animals and the unclean, and between the unclean birds and the clean. You must not defile yourselves with unclean animals or birds or with any creature that crawls along the ground, which I have separated as unclean from you.

So make sure you observe the difference between clean and unclean animals and birds. Don't make yourselves unclean because of any animal or bird, or by anything that runs along the ground. I have made the difference clear: they are unclean for you.

26 You must be holy, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples, for you belong to me.

You shall be holy to me because I am holy. I am the Lord, and I have made you a distinctive people different from all other nations. You belong to me.

27 A man or a woman who talks with the dead or who talks with spirits must certainly be put to death. The people must stone them with stones. They are guilty and deserve to die.'”

Anyone, man or a woman, who is a medium or a spiritist must be executed. They are to be stoned to death; they bear the responsibility for their punishment.”