Leviticus, 18

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

1. And the LORD said to Moses,

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

2. "Say to the people of Israel, 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. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.

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

4. You shall do my ordinances and keep my statutes and walk in them. 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. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, by doing which a man shall live: 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 any one near of kin to him to uncover 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. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.

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

8. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your 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. 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.

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

10. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your 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. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, begotten by your father, since she is your sister.

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

12. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your 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. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your 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. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your 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. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.

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

16. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; she is your 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. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are your 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. And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is yet alive.

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

19. "You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.

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

20. And you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself 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. You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to Molech, and so profane the name of your 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. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an 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. And you shall not lie with any beast and defile yourself with it, neither shall any woman give herself to a beast to lie with it: it is perversion.

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. "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am casting out before you defiled themselves;

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 became defiled, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its 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. But you shall keep my statutes and my ordinances and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns 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 of these abominations the men of the land did, who were before you, so that the land became defiled);

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

28. lest the land vomit you out, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was 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 whoever shall do any of these abominations, the persons that do 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. So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and never to defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God."