Leviticus 18

Laws on Immoral Relations

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘1I am the Lord your God. 3You shall not do 2what is 3done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do 4what is 5done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 4You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, 6to live in accord with them; 7I am the Lord your God. 5So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, 8by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord.

6‘None of you shall approach any blood relative 9of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord. 710You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. 811You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. 912The nakedness of your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born at home or born outside, their nakedness you shall not uncover. 10The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for 13their nakedness is yours. 11The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, 14born to your father, she is your sister, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 1215You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s blood relative. 13You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s blood relative. 1416You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother; you shall not approach his wife, she is your aunt. 1517You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 1618You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. 1719You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is 20lewdness. 18You shall not 21marry a woman in addition to 22her sister 23as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.

19‘24Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her 25menstrual impurity. 2026You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. 21You shall not give any of your offspring 27to 28offer them to Molech, nor shall you 29profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. 2230You shall not lie with a male as 31one lies with a female; it is an abomination. 2332Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to 33mate with it; it is a perversion.

24‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these 34the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. 25For the land has become defiled, 35therefore I have brought its 36punishment upon it, so the land 37has spewed out its inhabitants. 26But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you 27(for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); 28so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. 29For whoever does any of these abominations, 38those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. 30Thus you are to keep 39My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; 40I am the Lord your God.’”