1   The Lord told Moses

2   to say to the people of Israel, “Any of you or any foreigner living among you who gives any of his children to be used in the worship of the god Molech shall be stoned to death by the whole community.

3   If anyone gives one of his children to Molech and makes my sacred Tent unclean and disgraces my holy name, I will turn against him and will no longer consider him one of my people.

4   But if the community ignores what he has done and does not put him to death,

5   I myself will turn against the man and his whole family and

against all who join him in being unfaithful to me and worshiping Molech. I will no longer consider them my people.

6   “If anyone goes for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead, I will turn against him and will no longer consider him one of my people.

7   Keep yourselves holy, because I am the Lord your God.

8   Obey my laws, because I am the Lord and I make you holy.”

9   The Lord gave the following regulations. Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death; he is responsible for his own death. ^note

10   If a man commits adultery with the wife of a fellow Israelite, both he and the woman shall be put to death. ^note

11   A man who has intercourse with one of his father's wives disgraces his father, and both he and the woman shall be put to death. ^note They are responsible for their own death.

12   If a man has intercourse with his daughter-in-law, they shall both be put to death. They have committed incest and are responsible for their own death. ^note

13   If a man has sexual relations with another man, they have done a disgusting thing, and both shall be put to death. They are responsible for their own death. ^note

14   If a man marries a woman and her mother, all three shall be burned to death because of the disgraceful thing they have done; such a thing must not be permitted among you. ^note

15   If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he and the animal shall be put to death.

16   If a woman tries to have sexual relations with an animal, she and the animal shall be put to death. They are responsible for their own death. ^note

17   If a man marries his sister or half sister, they shall be publicly disgraced and driven out of the community. He has had intercourse with his sister and must suffer the consequences. ^note

18   If a man has intercourse with a woman during her monthly period, both of them are to be driven out of the community, because they have broken the regulations about ritual uncleanness. ^note

19   If a man has intercourse with his aunt, both of them must suffer the consequences for incest.

20   If a man has intercourse with his uncle's wife, he disgraces his uncle, and he and the woman will pay the penalty; neither one will have children. ^note

21   If a man takes his brother's wife, they will die childless. He has done a ritually unclean thing and has disgraced his brother. ^note

22   The Lord said, “Keep all my laws and commands, so that you will not be rejected by the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you.

23   Do not adopt the customs of the people who live there; I am driving out those pagans so that you can enter the land. They have disgusted me with all their evil practices.

24   But I have promised you this rich and fertile land as your possession, and I will give it to you. I am the Lord your God, and I have set you apart from the other nations.

25   So then, you must make a clear distinction between animals and birds that are ritually clean and those that are not. Do not eat unclean animals or birds. I have declared them unclean, and eating them would make you unclean.

26   You shall be holy and belong only to me, because I am the Lord and I am holy. I have set you apart from the other nations so that you would belong to me alone.

27   “Any man or woman who consults the spirits of the dead shall be stoned to death; any person who does this is responsible for his own death.”

Previous section

Next section