Leviticus 18

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, recipient of the law], word study 2 “Speak [declare, proclaim] to the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] and tell [say, command] them: I [the Lord] am the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler]. word study 3 You must not follow the practices [customs, traditions] of the land [territory, region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], where you used to live [dwell, reside], and you must not follow the practices [ways, habits] of the land [country, nation] of Canaan [a land promised to Israel], into which I am bringing you [leading, guiding]. You must not walk [live, conduct yourself] in their customs [ordinances, statutes, regulations]. word study 4 You are to practice [obey, carry out] My judgments [justice, righteous decrees] and keep [obey, guard] My statutes [ordinances, divine laws] by walking [living, following] in them. I am [the one who exists, the self-existent] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 5 Keep [obey, guard, and protect] My statutes [divine laws, ordinances] and My judgments [righteous decrees, justice], for the man [Adam, humanity] who does [obeys, performs] these things will live [have life, thrive] by them [in obedience to them, through faithfulness]. I [the Lord] am the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. word study 6 None of you [no one among you] are to approach [come near, draw close to] any close relative [near of kin, flesh and blood] to have sexual relations [uncover their nakedness, intimacy]. I [the Lord God] am the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. word study 7 You must not expose [uncover, reveal] the nakedness [shame, intimate parts] of your father [parent, ancestor] by having sexual relations [intimate contact, shameful acts] with your mother [female parent, maternal figure]. She is your mother [the one who gave you birth]; you must not have sexual relations [engage in intimate acts] with her [the one who nurtured you]. word study 8 You must not have sexual relations [intimate union, uncover the nakedness] with your father’s wife [the woman who is your father’s companion]; it would dishonor [bring shame, degrade] your father [the one who gave you life, your male parent]. word study 9 You must not have sexual relations [or uncover the nakedness] with your sister [by birth or close relative], either your father’s daughter [born at home or elsewhere] or your mother’s daughter [biological or half-sister], whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere [in a different location or country]. word study 10 You must not have sexual relations [or uncover the nakedness] with your son’s daughter [or granddaughter] or your daughter’s daughter [or granddaughter], for that would [bring shame or disgrace] shame your family [or relatives]. word study 11 You must not have sexual relations [be intimate, uncover nakedness] with the daughter [born to your father, a female child] of your father’s wife [the woman married to your father], born to your father; she is your sister [a biological sibling, a close relative, having a familial bond]. word study 12 You must not have sexual relations [uncover the nakedness, intimate connection] with your father’s sister [a close relative, near kinswoman]; she is your father’s [paternal, ancestral] close relative [flesh, family tie, near kinswoman]. word study 13 You must not have sexual relations [or uncover the nakedness, intimate connection] with your mother’s sister [a close relative, near kinswoman], for she is your mother’s [biological parent, maternal figure] close relative [flesh, family tie]. word study 14 You must not dishonor [bring shame upon, disgrace] your father’s brother [male sibling, close relative] by approaching [drawing near, coming close to] his wife [woman, spouse] to have sexual relations [intimate contact, physical union] with her; she is your aunt [father’s sister, relative by marriage]. word study 15 You must not have sexual relations [uncover the nakedness, intimate contact] with your daughter-in-law [bride, son’s wife]. She is your son’s [descendant, male child] wife; you are not to have sexual relations [uncover her nakedness, shameful exposure] with her. word study 16 You must not [under no circumstances] have sexual relations [uncover the nakedness, intimacy] with your brother’s wife [woman, sister-in-law]; that would [result in, bring] shame [disgrace, nakedness] your brother [male sibling, close relative]. word study 17 You must not have sexual relations [be intimate, uncover the nakedness] with both a woman [wife, female] and her daughter [female child, descendant]. You are not to marry [take as wife, have relations with] her son’s daughter [granddaughter, female descendant] or her daughter’s daughter [great-granddaughter, female offspring] and have sexual relations [uncover her nakedness, be intimate] with her. They are close relatives [near kinswomen, flesh and blood]; it is depraved [wickedness, a shameful act]. word study 18 You must not take [as a rival, to vex] your wife’s sister [biological or half-sister, close relative] as a rival wife [to be an adversary, in opposition] and have sexual relations [to uncover her nakedness, to reveal her shame] with her while your wife [lifelong companion, partner] is still alive [in her lifetime, during her life span]. word study 19 You must not [under any circumstances] approach [draw near, come close to] a woman [wife, female] to have [engage in, participate in] sexual relations [intimacy, union] with her during [at the time of, while she is in] her menstrual period [time of impurity, uncleanness, separation]. word study 20 You must not [under any circumstances] lie carnally [have sex relations, be intimate with] with your neighbor’s [fellow, companion] wife [woman, female partner] and thus [as a result, consequently] defile [make unclean, pollute] yourself [your soul, your being] with her [in her presence, through this act]. word study 21 You must not give [sacrifice, offer] any of your children [seed, offspring] to be sacrificed [burned, passed through the fire] to Molech [the Ammonite idol], for you must not profane [desecrate, defile] the name [reputation, character] of your God [Elohim, the supreme Lord]. I am [exist as, declare myself] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. word study 22 You must not [under any circumstances] lie [have sexual relations, be intimate] with a man [male, a male person] as with a woman [a female person, a wife]; that is [considered to be] an abomination [a disgusting thing, detestable]. word study 23 You must not lie carnally [in a sexual manner, to defile] with any animal [beast, livestock], thus defiling [making unclean, polluting] yourself with it; a woman [female, wife] must not stand [position herself, present herself] before an animal [beast, creature] to mate [lie down, copulate] with it; that is a perversion [confusion, abomination, contrary to nature]. word study 24 Do not [refuse to, let not] defile [make unclean, pollute] yourselves by any of these practices [customs, things], for by all [everything, every one of] these things the nations [Gentiles, heathen] I am driving out [expelling, casting out] before you have defiled [made themselves unclean, polluted] themselves. word study 25 Even the land [the earth, territory] has become defiled [to be foul, contaminated], so I am punishing [visiting, reckoning] it for its sin [iniquity, moral evil], and the land [country, region] will vomit [spue out] out its inhabitants [those who dwell, namely the people living there]. word study 26 But you [as individuals and as a nation] are to keep [obey, protect, and guard] My statutes [ordinances, divine laws] and ordinances [judgments, righteous decrees], and you must not [under any circumstances] commit [do, make] any of these abominations [detestable acts, disgusting things]—neither your native-born [born in the land, natural citizens] nor the foreigner [sojourner, temporary resident] who lives [sojourns, dwells] among you [in your midst, as part of your community]. word study 27 For the men [people, inhabitants] who were in the land [earth, territory] before you committed [practiced, did] all these abominations [detestable things, disgusting practices], and the land [country, region] has become [been made] defiled [polluted, unclean]. word study 28 So if you [utterly corrupt, make foul] defile [to be foul or contaminated, in a moral or ceremonial sense] the land [the soil or ground, a country, territory, or region], it will [as in a land spewing out its inhabitant] vomit [to spue out, expel] you out as it [previously, in the past] spewed out [expelled, thrust out] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] before you. word study 29 Therefore anyone who commits [does or practices] any of these [detestable, disgusting] abominations [idolatrous or sinful acts] must be cut off [expelled, removed] from among his people [nation, community]. word study 30 You must keep [obey, guard] My charge [ordinance, command] not to practice [do, make] any of the abominable [detestable, disgusting] customs [statutes, practices] that were practiced [done, committed] before you, so that you do not defile [make unclean, pollute] yourselves by them. I am the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God].” word study