Warning Against Worshiping Idols
20 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “You must also tell the Israelites these things: Anyone living in Israel who gives one of their children to the false god Molech must be killed! It doesn’t matter if they are a citizen of Israel or a foreigner, you must throw stones at them and kill them. 3 I will be against them and separate them from their people, because they gave their children to Molech. They showed that they did not respect my holy name. And they made my holy place unclean. 4 Maybe the common people will ignore them. Maybe they will not kill those who gave their children to Molech. 5 But I will be against these people and their families. I will separate them from their people. I will separate anyone who is unfaithful to me and chases after Molech.
6 “I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and wizards for advice. Whoever does this is being unfaithful to me. So I will separate them from their people.
7 “Be special. Make yourselves holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Remember and obey my laws. I am the Lord. And I have made you my special people.
9 “Whoever curses their father or mother must be put to death. They cursed their father or mother, so they are responsible for their own death![a]
Punishments for Sexual Sins
10 “If a man has sexual relations with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery and must be put to death! 11 If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.[b] It is as if that man had sexual relations with his father![c]
12 “If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed a terrible sexual sin! They are responsible for their own death.
13 “If a man has sexual relations with another man as with a woman, they have committed a terrible sin. They must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.
14 “It is a sexual sin if a man has sexual relations with a woman and her mother. The people must burn that man and the two women in fire! Don’t let this sexual sin happen among your people.
15 “If a man has sexual relations with an animal, both the man and the animal must be put to death. 16 If a woman has sexual relations with an animal, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.
17 “It is a shameful thing for a brother and his sister or half-sister to marry each other and have sexual relations with each other.[d] They must be punished in public. They must be separated from their people. The man who has sexual relations with his sister must be punished for his sin.[e]
18 “If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly time of bleeding, both the woman and the man must be separated from their people. They sinned because they exposed her source of blood.
19 “You must not have sexual relations with[f] your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. That is a sin of incest.[g] You must be punished for your sins.[h]
20 “A man must not have sexual relations with his uncle’s wife. It would be like having sexual relations with his uncle. That man and his uncle’s wife will be punished for their sins. They will die without children.[i]
21 “It is wrong for a man to take his brother’s wife. It would be like having sexual relations with his brother! They will have no children.
22 “You must remember all my laws and rules. And you must obey them. I am leading you to your land. You will live in that country. If you obey my laws and rules, that land will not vomit you out. 23 I am forcing other people to leave that country because they committed all those sins. I hate those sins! So don’t live the way those people lived. 24 But I have told you that you will get their land. I will give their land to you. It will be your land! It is a land filled with many good things.[j] I am the Lord your God.
“I have treated you differently from other people. 25 So you must treat clean animals differently from unclean animals. You must also treat clean birds differently from unclean birds. Don’t eat any of these unclean birds or animals or things that crawl on the ground. I have made these things unclean. 26 I have separated you from other nations to be my own special people. So you must be holy because I am the Lord, and I am holy.
27 “A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard must be put to death. The people must kill them with stones. They are responsible for their own death.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:9 they … death Literally, “his blood is on him.”
- Leviticus 20:11 They … death Literally, “Their blood is on them.” Also in verses 12, 13, 16, 27.
- Leviticus 20:11 man … father Literally, “he uncovered his father’s nakedness.”
- Leviticus 20:17 sexual relations with each other Literally, “he sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness.”
- Leviticus 20:17 The man … sin Literally, “He will carry his guilt.”
- Leviticus 20:19 have sexual relations with Literally, “uncover the nakedness of.” Also in verse 21.
- Leviticus 20:19 incest Having sexual relations with a close relative.
- Leviticus 20:19 You … sins Literally, “You will carry your guilt.”
- Leviticus 20:20 That man … children Literally, “They must bear their childlessness. They will die.”
- Leviticus 20:24 land … things Literally, “land flowing with milk and honey.”