Leviticus 18
New Century Version
Rules About Sexual Relations
18 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3 In the past you lived in Egypt, but you must not do what was done in that country. And you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their customs. 4 You must obey my rules and follow them. I am the Lord your God. 5 Obey my laws and rules; a person who obeys them will live because of them. I am the Lord.
6 “‘You must never have sexual relations with your close relatives. I am the Lord.
7 “‘You must not shame your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have sexual relations with her. 8 You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would shame your father.
9 “‘You must not have sexual relations with your sister, either the daughter of your father or your mother. It doesn’t matter if she was born in your house or somewhere else.
10 “‘You must not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would bring shame on you.
11 “‘If your father and his wife have a daughter, she is your sister. You must not have sexual relations with her.
12 “‘You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative. 13 You must not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister; she is your mother’s close relative. 14 You must not have sexual relations with the wife of your father’s brother, because this would shame him. She is your aunt.
15 “‘You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife. Do not have sexual relations with her.
16 “‘You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife. That would shame your brother.
17 “‘You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not have sexual relations with this woman’s granddaughter, either the daughter of her son or her daughter; they are her close relatives. It is evil to do this.
18 “‘While your wife is still living, you must not take her sister as another wife. Do not have sexual relations with her.
19 “‘You must not go near a woman to have sexual relations with her during her monthly period, when she is unclean.
20 “‘You must not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and make yourself unclean with her.
21 “‘You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, because this would show that you do not respect your God. I am the Lord.
22 “‘You must not have sexual relations with a man as you would a woman. That is a hateful sin.
23 “‘You must not have sexual relations with an animal and make yourself unclean with it. Also a woman must not have sexual relations with an animal; it is not natural.
24 “‘Don’t make yourself unclean by any of these wrong things. I am forcing nations out of their countries because they did these sins, and I am giving their land to you. 25 The land has become unclean, and I punished it for its sins, so the land is throwing out those people who live there.
26 “‘You must obey my laws and rules, and you must not do any of these hateful sins. These rules are for the citizens of Israel and for the people who live with you. 27 The people who lived in the land before you did all these hateful things and made the land unclean. 28 If you do these things, you will also make the land unclean, and it will throw you out as it threw out the nations before you. 29 Anyone who does these hateful sins must be cut off from the people. 30 Keep my command not to do these hateful sins that were done by the people who lived in the land before you. Don’t make yourself unclean by doing them. I am the Lord your God.’”
Leviticus 18
English Standard Version
Unlawful Sexual Relations
18 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, (A)I am the Lord your God. 3 (B)You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and (C)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 (D)You shall follow my rules[a] and keep my statutes and walk in them. (E)I am the Lord your God. 5 (F)You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; (G)if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. 7 (H)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 (I)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. 9 (J)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. 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 shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative. 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 (K)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 (L)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. 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 relatives; it is depravity. 18 And you shall not take a woman as a (M)rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness (N)while her sister is still alive.
19 (O)“You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. 20 (P)And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children to (Q)offer them[b] to (R)Molech, and so (S)profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 (T)You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 (U)And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is (V)perversion.
24 (W)“Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, (X)for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, 25 and the (Y)land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land (Z)vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But (AA)you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the (AB)native or the stranger who sojourns among you 27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), 28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 (AC)So keep my charge never to practice (AD)any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: (AE)I am the Lord your God.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 18:4 Or my just decrees; also verse 5
- Leviticus 18:21 Hebrew to make them pass through [the fire]
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
