The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Leviticus 20
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Moreover, you shall tell the children
of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel,
or of the strangers who live as foreigners
in Israel, who gives any of his offspring† to
Molech shall surely be put to death. The
people of the land shall stone that person
with stones.
3 I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his
people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary,
and to profane my holy name.
4 If the people of the land all hide their
eyes from that person when he gives of his
offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to
death,
5 then I will set my face against that man
and against his family, and will cut him off,
and all who play the prostitute after him
to play the prostitute with Molech, from
among their people.
6 “ ‘The person that turns to those who
aremediums and wizards,toplay theprostitute after them, I will even set my face
against that person, and will cut him off
from among his people.
7 “ ‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be
holy; for I am Yahweh your God.
8 You shall keep my statutes, and do
them. I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.
9 “ ‘For everyone who curses his father
or his mother shall surely be put to death.
He has cursed his father or his mother. His
blood shall be upon himself.
10 “ ‘The man who commits adultery
with another man’s wife, even he who
commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife,
the adulterer and the adulteress shall
surely be put to death.
11 “ ‘The man who lies with his father’s
wifehasuncoveredhis father’snakedness.
Both of them shall surely be put to death.
Their blood shall be upon themselves.
12 “ ‘If a man lies with his daughter-inlaw, both of them shall surely be put to
death. They have committed a perversion.
Their blood shall be upon themselves.
13 “ ‘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 shall be upon themselves.
14 “ ‘If a man takes a wife and her mother,
itis wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both
he and they, that there may be no
wickedness among you.
15 “ ‘If a man lies with an animal, he shall
surely be put to death; and you shall kill
the animal.
16 “ ‘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 shall be upon them.
17 “ ‘If a man takes his sister—his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter—
and sees her nakedness, and she sees his
nakedness, it is a shameful thing. They
shall be cut off in the sight of the children
of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.
18 “ ‘If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers
her nakedness, he has made her fountain
naked, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut
off from among their people.
19 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness
of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s
sister, for he has made his close relative
naked. They shall bear their iniquity.
20 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 “ ‘If a man takes his brother’s wife,
it is an impurity. He has uncovered his
brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
22 “ ‘You shall therefore keep all my
statutes and all my ordinances, and do
them, that the land where I am bringing
you to dwell may not vomit you out.
23 You shall not walk in the customs of
the nation which I am casting out before
you; for they did all these things, and
therefore I abhorred them.
24 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you
to possess it, a land flowing with milk and
honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has
separated you from the peoples.
25 “ ‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the
clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and
the clean. You shall not make yourselves
abominable by animal, or by bird, or by
anything with which the ground teems,
which I have separated from you as unclean for you.
26 You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh,
am holy, and have set you apart from the
peoples, that you should be mine.
27 “ ‘A man or a woman that is a medium
or is a wizard shall surely be put to death.
They shall be stoned with stones. Their
blood shall be upon themselves.’ ”