Prohibiting Child Sacrifice
20 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelis that when an Israeli or a resident alien[a] who lives in Israel offers[b] his child to Molech, he is certainly to be put to death.[c] The people who live in the land are to stone him with stones. 3 As for me, I’ll oppose that man. I’ll eliminate him from contact with his people[d] for sacrificing his children to Molech, thereby defiling my sanctuary and profaning my holy name. 4 If the people avoid dealing[e] with that man when he offers his child to Molech—that is, if they fail to execute him— 5 then I’ll oppose that man and his family and eliminate him from contact with his people,[f] along with all the prostitutes who accompany him and who have committed prostitution with Molech.”
Consulting the Dead Prohibited
6 “I’ll oppose and eliminate from contact with his people[g] whoever consults mediums or familiar spirits, thereby committing spiritual prostitution with them. 7 Therefore, separate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and observe them. I am the Lord, who has set you apart.”
Honoring Parents
9 “Anyone who curses his father or mother is certainly to be put to death.[h] He has cursed his father or mother, so his guilt will remain his responsibility.”
Honoring the Seventh Commandment
10 “If anyone commits adultery with another man’s wife, including when someone commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress are to die.
11 “If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has exposed his father’s nakedness, so both of them are to be put to death. Their guilt will remain their responsibility.
12 “If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, the two are to be put to death. They’ve committed a repulsive act. Their guilt[i] will remain their responsibility.
13 “If a man has sexual relations with another male as he would with a woman, both have committed a repulsive act. They are certainly to be put to death.
14 “If a man takes a wife along with her mother, that’s wickedness. They are to be burned with fire—that is, both him and them, so that there will be no wickedness in your midst.
15 “If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you are also to kill the animal.
16 “If a woman approaches any animal to have sexual relations with it, both the woman and the animal are to be put to death. Their guilt[j] will remain their responsibility.
17 “If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, so that he exposes her nakedness and she exposes his nakedness, it’s a shameful thing. They are to be eliminated from contact with their people[k] in front of their people’s children. He has exposed his sister’s nakedness. He’ll continue to bear responsibility for[l] his iniquity.
18 “If a man has sexual relations with a menstruating woman, he has exposed her nakedness, laying bare her fountain. He has exposed the source of her blood. Both are to be eliminated from contact with their people.[m]
19 “You are not to have sexual relations with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, because that is laying bare the nakedness of his close relative. They’ll continue to bear responsibility for[n] their iniquity.
20 “If a man has sexual relations with his uncle’s wife, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness. They are to bear responsibility for[o] punishment of their sin. They’ll die childless.
21 “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it’s immoral.[p] He has exposed his brother’s nakedness. They’ll be childless.”
Living Distinctively in Holiness
22 “Be sure to keep all my statutes and observe all my ordinances, so that the land where I’m about to bring you to live won’t vomit you out. 23 You are not to live[q] by the customs of the nations, whom I’ve cast away right in front of you. Because they did all of these things, I detested them. 24 But I’ve promised[r] you that you’ll inherit the land that I’m about to give you as your permanent possession[s]—a land flowing with milk and honey.
“I am your God. I’ve separated you from the people. 25 You are to differentiate between the clean animal and the unclean and between the unclean bird and the clean. You are not to make yourselves detestable on account of any animal, bird, or any creeping creature of the ground that I’ve separated for you as unclean.
26 “You are to be holy toward me, because I, the Lord, am holy. I’ve separated you from among the people to be mine.
27 “Moreover, a man or a woman who has a ritual spirit or a familiar spirit is certainly to die. They are to be stoned to death with boulders. They will continue to bear responsibility for their guilt.”[t]
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:2 Or foreigner who lives with you
- Leviticus 20:2 Or gives
- Leviticus 20:2 Lit. to die, he’ll die
- Leviticus 20:3 The Heb. lacks from contact with his people
- Leviticus 20:4 Lit. people conceal their face from
- Leviticus 20:5 The Heb. lacks from contact with his people
- Leviticus 20:6 The Heb. lacks contact with his people
- Leviticus 20:9 Lit. to die, he’ll die
- Leviticus 20:12 Lit. blood
- Leviticus 20:16 Lit. blood
- Leviticus 20:17 The Heb. lacks from contact with their people
- Leviticus 20:17 The Heb. lacks responsibility for
- Leviticus 20:18 The Heb. lacks from contact with their people
- Leviticus 20:19 The Heb. lacks responsibility for
- Leviticus 20:20 The Heb. lacks responsibility for
- Leviticus 20:21 Lit. an impurity
- Leviticus 20:23 Lit. walk
- Leviticus 20:24 Lit. said
- Leviticus 20:24 Lit. you to inherit
- Leviticus 20:27 Lit. blood