Leviticus 18 – NIRV & KJV

New International Reader’s Version

Leviticus 18:1-30

Do Not Commit Sexual Sins

1The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 2“Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘I am the Lord your God. 3Do not do what the people of Egypt do. You used to live there. And do not do what the people of Canaan do. I am bringing you into their land. Do not follow their practices. 4Obey my laws. Be careful to follow my rules. I am the Lord your God. 5Keep my rules and laws. The one who obeys them will benefit from living by them. I am the Lord.

6“ ‘Do not have sex with any of your close relatives. I am the Lord.

7“ ‘Do not bring shame on your father by having sex with your mother. Do not have sex with her. She is your mother.

8“ ‘Do not have sex with any other wife of your father. That would bring shame on your father.

9“ ‘Do not have sex with your sister. It does not matter whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter. It does not matter whether she was born in the same home as you were or somewhere else.

10“ ‘Do not have sex with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter. That would bring shame on you.

11“ ‘Do not have sex with the daughter of your father’s wife. She was born to your father. She is your sister.

12“ ‘Do not have sex with your father’s sister. She is a close relative on your father’s side.

13“ ‘Do not have sex with your mother’s sister. She is a close relative on your mother’s side.

14“ ‘Do not bring shame on your father’s brother by having sex with his wife. She is your aunt.

15“ ‘Do not have sex with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. Do not have sex with her.

16“ ‘Do not have sex with your brother’s wife. That would bring shame on your brother.

17“ ‘Do not have sex with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sex with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter. They are close relatives on her side. Having sex with them is an evil thing.

18“ ‘Do not take your wife’s sister as another wife and have sex with her. Do not do it while your wife is still living.

19“ ‘Do not have sex with a woman during her monthly period. She is “unclean” at that time.

20“ ‘Do not have sex with your neighbor’s wife. That would make you “unclean.”

21“ ‘Do not hand over any of your children to be sacrificed to the god Molek. That would be treating my name as if it were not holy. I am the Lord your God.

22“ ‘Do not have sex with a man as you would have sex with a woman. I hate that.

23“ ‘Do not have sex with an animal. Do not make yourself “unclean” by doing that. A woman must not offer herself to an animal to have sex with it. That is a wrong use of sex.

24“ ‘Do not make yourselves “unclean” in any of these ways. That is how other nations became “unclean.” So I am going to drive those nations out of the land to make room for you. 25Even their land was not “clean.” So I punished it because of its sin. The land itself threw out the people who lived there. 26But you must keep my rules and my laws. You must not do any of the things I hate. It does not matter whether you are Israelites or outsiders. 27All these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you. That is how the land became “unclean.” 28If you make the land “unclean,” it will throw you out. It will get rid of you just as it got rid of the nations there before you.

29“ ‘Suppose you do any of the things I hate. Then you must be separated from your people. 30Do exactly what I require. When you arrive in Canaan, do not follow any of the practices of its people. I hate the things they do. Do not make yourselves “unclean” by doing them. I am the Lord your God.’ ”

King James Version

Leviticus 18:1-30

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. 3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. 4Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. 5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

6¶ None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.18.6 near…: Heb. remainder of his flesh 7The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 8The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness. 9The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. 10The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. 11The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 12Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman. 13Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman. 14Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. 15Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 16Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness. 17Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness. 18Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.18.18 a wife…: or, one wife to another

19Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. 20Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. 21And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.18.21 Molech: Gr. Moloch 22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. 24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. 26Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: 27(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) 28That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. 29For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.