Leviticus 20
World English Bible
20 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring[a] to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones. 3 I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.
6 “‘The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
7 “‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God. 8 You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.
9 “‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon himself.
10 “‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 “‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
12 “‘If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed a perversion. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
13 “‘If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
14 “‘If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.
15 “‘If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal.
16 “‘If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.
17 “‘If a man takes his sister—his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter—and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.
18 “‘If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness, he has made her fountain naked, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister, for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity. 20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless.
21 “‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
22 “‘You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. 23 You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. 24 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
25 “‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean. You shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. 26 You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.
27 “‘A man or a woman that is a medium or is a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood shall be upon themselves.’”
Footnotes
- 20:2 or, seed
Leviticus 20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Molech Worship and Spiritism
20 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech(A) must be put to death; the people of the country are to stone him.(B) 3 I will turn[a] against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary(C) and profaning My holy name.(D) 4 But if the people of the country look the other way when that man[b] gives any of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, 5 then I will turn[c] against that man and his family, and cut off from their people both him and all who follow[d] him in prostituting(E) themselves with Molech.
6 “Whoever turns to mediums[e](F) or spiritists[f] and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn[g] against that person and cut him off from his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. 8 Keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who sets you apart.
Family and Sexual Offenses
9 “If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death.(G) He has cursed his father or mother; his blood is on his own hands.[h]
10 If a man commits adultery(H) with a married woman—if he commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. 11 If a man sleeps with his father’s wife, he has shamed his father.(I) Both of them must be put to death; their blood is on their own hands.[i] 12 If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law,(J) both of them must be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is on their own hands.[j] 13 If a man sleeps with a man as with a woman,(K) they have both committed a detestable thing.(L) They must be put to death; their blood is on their own hands.[k] 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother,(M) it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned with fire,(N) so that there will be no depravity among you. 15 If a man has sexual intercourse with[l] an animal, he must be put to death; you are also to kill the animal. 16 If a woman comes near any animal and mates with it, you are to kill the woman and the animal.(O) They must be put to death; their own blood is on them. 17 If a man marries his sister,(P) whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and they have sexual relations,[m](Q) it is a disgrace.(R) They must be cut off publicly from their people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister; he will bear his punishment. 18 If a man sleeps with a menstruating woman and has sexual intercourse with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood.(S) Both of them must be cut off from their people. 19 You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister,(T) for it is exposing one’s own blood relative; both people will bear their punishment. 20 If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has shamed his uncle;(U) they will bear their guilt and die childless. 21 If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity.(V) He has shamed his brother;(W) they will be childless.
Holiness in the Land
22 “You are to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.(X) 23 You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them.(Y) 24 And I promised you: You will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.(Z) I am Yahweh your God who set you apart from the peoples. 25 Therefore you must distinguish the clean animal from the unclean one, and the unclean bird from the clean one. Do not become contaminated(AA) by any land animal, bird, or whatever crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.(AB) 26 You are to be holy to Me because I, Yahweh, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be Mine.(AC)
27 A man or a woman who is[n] a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their blood is on their own hands.”[o]
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:3 Lit will set My face
- Leviticus 20:4 Lit country ever close their eyes from that man when he
- Leviticus 20:5 Lit will set My face
- Leviticus 20:5 Lit prostitute themselves with
- Leviticus 20:6 Or spirits of the dead
- Leviticus 20:6 Or familiar spirits
- Leviticus 20:6 Lit will set My face
- Leviticus 20:9 Lit on him
- Leviticus 20:11 Lit on them
- Leviticus 20:12 Lit on them
- Leviticus 20:13 Lit on them
- Leviticus 20:15 Lit man gives his emission to
- Leviticus 20:17 Lit and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness
- Leviticus 20:27 Lit is in them
- Leviticus 20:27 Lit on them
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