Leviticus 18

1 Yahweh said to Moses,

And the Lord said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God.

Say to the children of Israel, I am the Lord your God.

3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes.

You may not do those things which were done in the land of Egypt where you were living; and you may not do those things which are done in the land of Canaan where I am taking you, or be guided in your behaviour by their rules.

4 You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am Yahweh your God.

But you are to be guided by my decisions and keep my rules, and be guided by 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 Yahweh.

So keep my rules and my decisions, which, if a man does them, will be life to him: I am the Lord.

6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.

You may not have sex connection with anyone who is a near relation: 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 may not have sex relations with your father or your mother: she is your mother, you may not take her.

8 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.

And you may not have sex relations with your father's wife: she is your father's.

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 may not take your sister, the daughter of your father or of your mother, wherever her birth took place, among you or in another country.

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 may not have sex relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, for they are part of yourself;

11 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.

Or your father's wife's daughter, the child of your father, for she is your sister.

12 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.

You may not have sex connection with your father's sister, for she is your father's near relation.

13 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.

You may not have sex connection with your mother's sister, for she is your mother's near relation.

14 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.

You may not have sex relations with the wife of your father's brother, for she is of your family;

15 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

Or with your daughter-in-law, for she is your son's wife, and you may not take her.

16 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.

You may not have sex relations with your brother's wife, for she is your brother's.

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 may not take as wife a woman and her daughter, or her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, for they are of one family: it is an act of shame.

18 “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.

And you may not take as wife a woman and at the same time her sister, to be in competition with her in her life-time.

19 “‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

And you may not go near a woman or have sex relations with her when she is unclean, at her regular time.

20 “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.

And you may not have sex relations with your neighbour's wife, making yourself unclean with her.

21 “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.

And you may not make any of your children go through the fire as an offering to Molech, and you may not put shame on the name of your God: I am the Lord.

22 “‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.

You may not have sex relations with men, as you do with women: it is a disgusting thing.

23 “‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.

And you may not have sex relations with a beast, making yourself unclean with it; and a woman may not give herself to a beast: it is an unnatural act.

24 “‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.

Do not make yourself unclean in any of these ways; for so have those nations whom I am driving out from before you made themselves unclean:

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

And the land itself has become unclean; so that I have sent on it the reward of its wrongdoing, and the land itself puts out those who are living in it.

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

So then keep my rules and my decisions, and do not do any of these disgusting things, those of you who are Israelites by birth, or any others who are living with you:

27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled),

(For all these disgusting things were done by the men of this country who were there before you, and the land has been made unclean by them; )

28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

So that the land may not put you out from it, when you make it unclean, as it put out the nations which were there 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.

For all those who do any of these disgusting things will be cut off from among their 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 Yahweh your God.’”

So then, keep my orders, so that you may not do any of these disgusting things which were done before you, or make yourselves unclean through them: I am the Lord your God.