Personal Greetings

16 I commend^(A) to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon^[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae.^{(B) 2} I ask you to receive her in the Lord^(C) in a way worthy of his people^(D) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.^(X) Keep away from them.^{(Y) 18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,^(Z) but their own appetites.^(AA) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive^(AB) the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard^(AC) about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.^(AD)

²⁰ The God of peace^(AE) will soon crush^(AF) Satan^(AG) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^(AH)

²¹ Timothy,^(AI) my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius,^(AJ) Jason^(AK) and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.^(AL)

²² I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius,^(AM) whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.

Erastus,^(AN) who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. ^[24] [e]

²⁵ Now to him who is able^(AO) to establish you in accordance with my gospel,^(AP) the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery^(AQ) hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings^(AR) by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[f] faith^(AS)— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.^(AT)

Unlawful Sexual Relations

18 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.^{(A) 3} You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.^{(B) 4} You must obey my laws^(C) and be careful to follow my decrees.^(D) I am the Lord your God.^{(E) 5} Keep my decrees and laws,^(F) for the person who obeys them will live by them.^(G) I am the Lord.

⁶ “‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.

⁷ “‘Do not dishonor your father^(H) by having sexual relations with your mother.^(I) She is your mother; do not have relations with her.

⁸ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife;^(J) that would dishonor your father.^(K)

⁹ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister,^(L) either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.^(M)

¹⁰ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.

¹¹ “‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

¹² “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister;^(N) she is your father’s close relative.

¹³ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister,^(O) because she is your mother’s close relative.

¹⁴ “‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.^(P)

¹⁵ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law.^(Q) She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.^(R)

¹⁶ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife;^(S) that would dishonor your brother.

¹⁷ “‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter.^(T) Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.

¹⁸ “‘Do not take your wife’s sister^(U) as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

¹⁹ “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness^(V) of her monthly period.^(W)

²⁰ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife^(X) and defile yourself with her.

²¹ “‘Do not give any of your children^(Y) to be sacrificed to Molek,^(Z) for you must not profane the name of your God.^(AA) I am the Lord.^(AB)

²² “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman;^(AC) that is detestable.^(AD)

²³ “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.^(AE)

²⁴ “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you^(AF) became defiled.^{(AG) 25} Even the land was defiled;^(AH) so I punished it for its sin,^(AI) and the land vomited out its inhabitants.^{(AJ) 26} But you must keep my decrees and my laws.^(AK) The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, ²⁷ for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. ²⁸ And if you defile the land,^(AL) it will vomit you out^(AM) as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

²⁹ “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. ³⁰ Keep my requirements^(AN) and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.^(AO)’”

Various Laws

19 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel^(AP) and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God,^(AQ) am holy.^(AR)

³ “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father,^(AS) and you must observe my Sabbaths.^(AT) I am the Lord your God.^(AU)

⁴ “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves.^(AV) I am the Lord your God.^(AW)

⁵ “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. ⁶ It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.^{(AX) 7} If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.^{(AY) 8} Whoever eats it will be held responsible^(AZ) because they have desecrated what is holy^(BA) to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.^(BB)

⁹ “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges^(BC) of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.^{(BD) 10} Do not go over your vineyard a second time^(BE) or pick up the grapes that have fallen.^(BF) Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.^(BG) I am the Lord your God.

¹¹ “‘Do not steal.^(BH)

“‘Do not lie.^(BI)

“‘Do not deceive one another.^(BJ)

¹² “‘Do not swear falsely^(BK) by my name^(BL) and so profane^(BM) the name of your God. I am the Lord.

¹³ “‘Do not defraud or rob^(BN) your neighbor.^(BO)

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker^(BP) overnight.^(BQ)

¹⁴ “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,^(BR) but fear your God.^(BS) I am the Lord.

¹⁵ “‘Do not pervert justice;^(BT) do not show partiality^(BU) to the poor or favoritism to the great,^(BV) but judge your neighbor fairly.^(BW)

¹⁶ “‘Do not go about spreading slander^(BX) among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.^(BY) I am the Lord.

¹⁷ “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.^(BZ) Rebuke your neighbor frankly^(CA) so you will not share in their guilt.

¹⁸ “‘Do not seek revenge^(CB) or bear a grudge^(CC) against anyone among your people,^(CD) but love your neighbor^(CE) as yourself.^(CF) I am the Lord.

¹⁹ “‘Keep my decrees.^(CG)

“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.

“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.^(CH)

“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.^(CI)

²⁰ “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man^(CJ) but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.^[a] Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. ²¹ The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord.^{(CK) 22} With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.^(CL)

²³ “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.^[b] For three years you are to consider it forbidden^[c]; it must not be eaten. ²⁴ In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy,^(CM) an offering of praise to the Lord. ²⁵ But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.

²⁶ “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.^(CN)

“‘Do not practice divination^(CO) or seek omens.^(CP)

²⁷ “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.^(CQ)

²⁸ “‘Do not cut^(CR) your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

²⁹ “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute,^(CS) or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.^(CT)

³⁰ “‘Observe my Sabbaths^(CU) and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.^(CV)

³¹ “‘Do not turn to mediums^(CW) or seek out spiritists,^(CX) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

³² “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect^(CY) for the elderly^(CZ) and revere your God.^(DA) I am the Lord.^(DB)

³³ “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. ³⁴ The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.^(DC) Love them as yourself,^(DD) for you were foreigners^(DE) in Egypt.^(DF) I am the Lord your God.

³⁵ “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.^{(DG) 36} Use honest scales^(DH) and honest weights, an honest ephah^[d](DI) and an honest hin.^[e](DJ) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.^(DK)

³⁷ “‘Keep all my decrees^(DL) and all my laws^(DM) and follow them. I am the Lord.’”