Leviticus 20
Legacy Standard Bible
Set Yourselves Apart as Holy
20 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “You shall also say to the sons of Israel:
‘Any man from the sons of Israel or from the sojourners sojourning in Israel (A)who gives any of his seed to Molech shall surely be put to death; (B)the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given some of those who are his seed to Molech, (C)so as to defile My sanctuary and (D)to profane My holy name. 4 If the people of the land, however, [a]should ever turn a blind eye to that man when he gives any of those who are his seed to Molech, so as not to put him to death, 5 then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, in playing the harlot after Molech.
6 ‘As for the person who turns to [b](E)mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Therefore, you shall set yourselves apart as holy and (F)be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. 8 (G)And you shall keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who makes you holy.
9 ‘(H)If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother. His bloodguiltiness is upon him.
10 ‘(I)If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 11 (J)If there is a man who lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 12 (K)If there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed [c]perversion. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 13 (L)If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 14 (M)If there is a man who [d]marries a woman and her mother, it is lewdness; both he and they shall be burned with fire so that there will be no lewdness in your midst. 15 (N)If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal. 16 If there is a woman who approaches any animal to [e]mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.
17 ‘(O)If there is a man who takes his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he bears his guilt. 18 (P)If there is a man who lies with a [f]menstruous woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood; thus both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 (Q)You shall also not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister or of your father’s sister, for such a one has made naked his [g]blood relative; they will bear their guilt. 20 (R)If there is a man who lies with his aunt, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless. 21 (S)If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is an [h]impure act; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.
22 ‘You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to [i]inhabit will not (T)vomit you out. 23 Moreover, you shall not walk in (U)the statutes of the nation which I will cast out before you, for they did all these things, and (V)therefore I have loathed them. 24 Hence I have said to you, “(W)You yourselves shall possess their land, and I Myself will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has (X)separated you from the peoples. 25 (Y)You are therefore to separate between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make [j]yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything [k]that creeps on the ground, which I have separated for you as unclean. 26 Thus you shall be holy to Me, for I Yahweh am holy; and I (Z)have separated you from the peoples to be Mine.
27 ‘Now a man or a woman (AA)who is a medium or a [l]spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:4 Lit hiding they hide their eyes from
- Leviticus 20:6 Or ghosts and spirits
- Leviticus 20:12 Or incest
- Leviticus 20:14 Lit takes
- Leviticus 20:16 Lit lie
- Leviticus 20:18 Lit sick
- Leviticus 20:19 Lit flesh
- Leviticus 20:21 Or abhorrent
- Leviticus 20:22 Lit dwell in it
- Leviticus 20:25 Lit your souls
- Leviticus 20:25 Lit with which the ground creeps
- Leviticus 20:27 Lit spiritist among them
Leviticus 20
English Standard Version
Punishment for Child Sacrifice
20 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, (A)Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 (B)I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary (C)unclean and (D)to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not (E)put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in (F)whoring after Molech.
6 “If (G)a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, (H)I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 (I)Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 (J)Keep my statutes and do them; (K)I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 9 For (L)anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; (M)his blood is upon him.
Punishments for Sexual Immorality
10 “If a (N)man commits adultery with the wife of[a] his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 11 (O)If a man lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. 12 (P)If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed (Q)perversion; their blood is upon them. 13 (R)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 is upon them. 14 (S)If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. 15 (T)If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 (U)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 is upon them.
17 (V)“If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity. 18 (W)If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 (X)You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked (Y)one's relative; they shall bear their iniquity. 20 (Z)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 (AA)If a man takes his brother's wife, it is impurity.[b] He has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.
You Shall Be Holy
22 (AB)“You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not (AC)vomit you out. 23 (AD)And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. 24 But (AE)I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land (AF)flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, (AG)who has separated you from the peoples. 25 (AH)You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. 26 (AI)You shall be holy to me, (AJ)for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
27 (AK)“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be (AL)stoned with stones; (AM)their blood shall be upon them.”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:10 Hebrew repeats if a man commits adultery with the wife of
- Leviticus 20:21 Hebrew menstrual impurity
Leviticus 20
King James Version
20 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.
9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
14 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.
15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.
22 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people.
25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
