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Laws on Immoral Relations

18 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: I am the Lord your God. After the practices of the land of Egypt, from where you lived, you shall not follow, and after the practices of the land of Canaan, to where I will bring you, you shall not follow; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall follow My decrees and keep My ordinances to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does them, then he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

None of you shall approach any of his near relatives to have relations: I am the Lord.

You shall not have relations with your father or have relations with your mother. She is your mother. You shall not have relations with her.

You shall not have relations with your father’s wife, for this exposes your father’s nakedness.

You shall not have relations with your sister, whether your father’s or mother’s daughter, whether raised in the family or another home.

10 You shall not have relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this exposes your own nakedness.

11 You shall not have relations with your father’s wife’s daughter who is raised in your father’s family, for she is your sister.

12 You shall not have relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s relative.

13 You shall not have relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative.

14 You shall not expose the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife for relations; she is your aunt.

15 You shall not have relations with your daughter-in-law, for she is your son’s wife—you shall not have relations with her.

16 You shall not have relations with your brother’s wife, for this exposes your brother’s nakedness.

17 You shall not have relations with a woman and her daughter, nor shall you have her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, for this exposes the woman’s nakedness. They are all near relatives. It is depravity.

18 And you shall not have a woman as a rival wife, who is the sister of your other wife, for this is to expose her nakedness while her sister, your other wife, is still alive.

19 Also you shall not approach a woman to have relations as long as she is in her menstrual uncleanness.

20 Moreover, you shall not have relations with your neighbor’s wife to defile yourself with her.

21 You shall not let any of your children be offered through the fire to Molek, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

22 You shall not lie with a man as one does with a woman. It is an abomination.

23 You shall not lie with an animal to defile yourself, nor shall any woman lie with an animal. It is a perversion.

24 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for in these practices the nations I am casting out before you have defiled themselves. 25 And the land has become defiled; therefore I have punished its iniquity, and the land has vomited out her inhabitants. 26 But you shall therefore keep My statutes and My decrees, and you shall not commit any of these abominations, either the native citizen or any foreigner who sojourns among you 27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, committed all of these abominations, and the land became defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

29 For whoever shall commit any of these abominations, those persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore you shall keep My ordinances, that you do not commit any one of these abominable customs which were committed before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God.

Unlawful Sexual Relations

18 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.(A) 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) You must obey my laws(C) and be careful to follow my decrees.(D) I am the Lord your God.(E) Keep my decrees and laws,(F) for the person who obeys them will live by them.(G) I am the Lord.

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

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

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

“‘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)’”