Leviticus 20

Punishments for Sin

1 The Lord said to Moses,2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him.3 I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.4 If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death,

5 I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.

6 “ ‘I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.
7 “ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.

8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

9 “ ‘If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head.

10 “ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

11 “ ‘If a man sleeps with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

12 “ ‘If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.

13 “ ‘If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

14 “ ‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.

15 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

16 “ ‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

17 “ ‘If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.

18 “ ‘If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people.

19 “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.

20 “ ‘If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.

21 “ ‘If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.
22 “ ‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

24 But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.
25 “ ‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those which I have set apart as unclean for you.

26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

27 “ ‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’ ”

LEVITICUS 20

Penalties for Disobeying //God's Laws

1 The [Lord] told Moses

2 to say to the community of Israel:
Death by stoning is the penalty for any citizens or foreigners in the country who sacrifice their children to the god Molech. 3 They have disgraced both the place where I am worshiped and my holy name, and so I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people. 4 Some of you may let them get away with human sacrifice,

5 but not me. If any of you worship Molech, I will turn against you and your entire family, and I will no longer let you belong to my people.
6 I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people. 7 Dedicate yourselves to me and be holy because I am the [Lord] your God.

8 I have chosen you as my people, and I expect you to obey my laws.

9  t If you curse your father or mother, you will be put to death, and it will be your own fault.

10  t If any of you men have sex with another man's wife, both you and the woman will be put to death.
11  t Having sex with one of your father's wives disgraces him. So both you and the woman will be put to death, just as you deserve. 12 t It isn't natural to have sex with your daughter-in-law, and both of you will be put to death, just as you deserve. 13 t It's disgusting for men to have sex with one another, and those who do will be put to death, just as they deserve. 14 t It isn't natural for a man to marry both a woman and her daughter, and so all three of them will be burned to death.

15-16 t If any of you have sex with an animal, both you and the animal will be put to death, just as you deserve.
17  t If you marry one of your sisters, you will be punished, and the two of you will be disgraced by being openly forced out of the community. 18 t If you have sex with a woman during her monthly period, both you and the woman will be cut off from the people of Israel. 19 t The sisters of your father and mother are your own relatives, and you will be punished for having sex with any of them. 20 If you have sex with your uncle's wife, neither you nor she will ever have any children.

21 t And if you marry your sister-in-law, neither of you will ever have any children.t
22 Obey my laws and teachings. Or else the land I am giving you will become sick of you and throw you out. 23 The nations I am chasing out did these disgusting things, and I hated them for it, so don't follow their example. 24 I am the [Lord] your God, and I have promised you their land that is rich with milk and honey. I have chosen you to be different from other people. 25 That's why you must make a difference between animals and birds that I have said are clean and uncleant—this will keep you from becoming disgusting to me.

26 I am the [Lord], the holy God. You have been chosen to be my people, and so you must be holy too.
27 If you claim to receive messages from the dead, you will be put to death by stoning, just as you deserve.