Leviticus, 18

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2. 'Speak to the Israelites and say: "I am Yahweh your God:

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.

3. You must not behave as they do in Egypt where you used to live; you must not behave as they do in Canaan where I am taking you, nor must you follow their laws.

3. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

4. You must observe my customs and keep my laws, following them. "I, Yahweh, am your God:

4. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I [am] the LORD your God.

5. hence you will keep my laws and my customs. Whoever complies with them will find life in them. "I am Yahweh.

5. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD.

6. "None of you will approach a woman who is closely related to him, to have intercourse with her. I am Yahweh.

6. None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover [their] nakedness: I [am] the LORD.

7. "You will not have intercourse with your father or your mother. She is your mother -- you will not have intercourse with her.

7. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she [is] thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

8. "You will not have intercourse with your father's wife; it is your father's sexual prerogative.

8. The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it [is] thy father's nakedness.

9. "You will not have intercourse with your sister, whether she is your father's or your mother's daughter. Whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere, you will not have intercourse with her.

9. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, [whether she be] born at home, or born abroad, [even] their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

10. "You will not have intercourse with your son's or your daughter's daughter; for their sexual privacy is your own.

10. The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, [even] their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs [is] thine own nakedness.

11. "You will not have intercourse with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father. She is your sister; you will not have intercourse with her.

11. The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she [is] thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

12. "You will not have intercourse with your father's sister; for she is your father's own flesh and blood.

12. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she [is] thy father's near kinswoman.

13. "You will not have intercourse with your mother's sister; for she is your mother's own flesh and blood.

13. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she [is] thy mother's near kinswoman.

14. "You will not have intercourse with your father's brother; you will not approach his wife. She is your aunt.

14. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she [is] thine aunt.

15. "You will not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; you will not have intercourse with her.

15. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she [is] thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

16. "You will not have intercourse with your brother's wife; it is your brother's sexual prerogative.

16. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it [is] thy brother's nakedness.

17. "You will not have intercourse with a woman and her daughter; nor will you take her son's or her daughter's daughter, to have intercourse with them. They are your own flesh and blood; it would be incest.

17. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; [for] they [are] her near kinswomen: it [is] wickedness.

18. "You will not take a woman and her sister into your harem at the same time, to have intercourse with the latter while the former is still alive.

18. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex [her], to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life [time].

19. "You will not approach and have intercourse with a woman who is in a state of menstrual pollution.

19. Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.

20. "Furthermore, you will not have intercourse with your fellow-citizen's wife; you would become unclean by doing so.

20. Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

21. "You will not allow any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, thus profaning the name of your God. I am Yahweh.

21. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through [the fire] to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I [am] the LORD.

22. "You will not have intercourse with a man as you would with a woman. This is a hateful thing.

22. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination.

23. "You will not have intercourse with any kind of animal; you would become unclean by doing so. Nor will a woman offer herself to an animal, to have intercourse with it. This would be a violation of nature.

23. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it [is] confusion.

24. "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these practices, for it was by such things that the nations that I am driving out before you made themselves unclean.

24. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

25. The country has become unclean; hence I am about to punish it for its guilt, and the country itself will vomit out its inhabitants.

25. And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

26. "You, however, must keep my laws and customs and not do any of these hateful things: none of your citizens, none of your resident aliens.

26. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit [any] of these abominations; [neither] any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

27. For all these hateful things were done by the people who lived in the country before you, and the country became unclean.

27. (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which [were] before you, and the land is defiled;)

28. If you make it unclean, will it not vomit you out as it vomited out the nations there before you?

28. That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that [were] before you.

29. Yes, anyone who does any of these hateful things, whatever it may be, any person doing so, will be outlawed from his people;

29. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit [them] shall be cut off from among their people.

30. so keep my rules and do not observe any of the hateful laws which were in force before you came; then you will not be made unclean by them. I am Yahweh your God." '

30. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that [ye] commit not [any one] of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I [am] the LORD your God.