The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 18 -

(Matthew 5:27–30)

Then the LORD said to Moses,

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.”

Footnotes

(a)18:5 Cited in Romans 10:5 and Galatians 3:12; see also Ezekiel 20:11, 13, and 21.

(b)18:6 Literally to uncover (their) nakedness; here and throughout this chapter

(Matthew 5:27–30)

The LORD said to Moses,

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

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

You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am the LORD.

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

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

“‘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 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 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 the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“‘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.

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

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

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

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

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

“‘For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.

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 the LORD your God.’”