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Leviticus 20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Leviticus 20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Molech Worship and Spiritism
20 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech(A) must be put to death; the people of the country are to stone him.(B) 3 I will turn[a] against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary(C) and profaning My holy name.(D) 4 But if the people of the country look the other way when that man[b] gives any of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, 5 then I will turn[c] against that man and his family, and cut off from their people both him and all who follow[d] him in prostituting(E) themselves with Molech.
6 “Whoever turns to mediums[e](F) or spiritists[f] and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn[g] against that person and cut him off from his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. 8 Keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who sets you apart.
Family and Sexual Offenses
9 “If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death.(G) He has cursed his father or mother; his blood is on his own hands.[h]
10 If a man commits adultery(H) with a married woman—if he commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. 11 If a man sleeps with his father’s wife, he has shamed his father.(I) Both of them must be put to death; their blood is on their own hands.[i] 12 If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law,(J) both of them must be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is on their own hands.[j] 13 If a man sleeps with a man as with a woman,(K) they have both committed a detestable thing.(L) They must be put to death; their blood is on their own hands.[k] 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother,(M) it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned with fire,(N) so that there will be no depravity among you. 15 If a man has sexual intercourse with[l] an animal, he must be put to death; you are also to kill the animal. 16 If a woman comes near any animal and mates with it, you are to kill the woman and the animal.(O) They must be put to death; their own blood is on them. 17 If a man marries his sister,(P) whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and they have sexual relations,[m](Q) it is a disgrace.(R) They must be cut off publicly from their people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister; he will bear his punishment. 18 If a man sleeps with a menstruating woman and has sexual intercourse with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood.(S) Both of them must be cut off from their people. 19 You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister,(T) for it is exposing one’s own blood relative; both people will bear their punishment. 20 If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has shamed his uncle;(U) they will bear their guilt and die childless. 21 If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity.(V) He has shamed his brother;(W) they will be childless.
Holiness in the Land
22 “You are to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.(X) 23 You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them.(Y) 24 And I promised you: You will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.(Z) I am Yahweh your God who set you apart from the peoples. 25 Therefore you must distinguish the clean animal from the unclean one, and the unclean bird from the clean one. Do not become contaminated(AA) by any land animal, bird, or whatever crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.(AB) 26 You are to be holy to Me because I, Yahweh, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be Mine.(AC)
27 A man or a woman who is[n] a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their blood is on their own hands.”[o]
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:3 Lit will set My face
- Leviticus 20:4 Lit country ever close their eyes from that man when he
- Leviticus 20:5 Lit will set My face
- Leviticus 20:5 Lit prostitute themselves with
- Leviticus 20:6 Or spirits of the dead
- Leviticus 20:6 Or familiar spirits
- Leviticus 20:6 Lit will set My face
- Leviticus 20:9 Lit on him
- Leviticus 20:11 Lit on them
- Leviticus 20:12 Lit on them
- Leviticus 20:13 Lit on them
- Leviticus 20:15 Lit man gives his emission to
- Leviticus 20:17 Lit and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness
- Leviticus 20:27 Lit is in them
- Leviticus 20:27 Lit on them
Leviticus 20
International Children’s Bible
Leviticus 20
International Children’s Bible
Warnings About Various Sins
20 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “You must also tell the people of Israel these things: ‘A person in your country might give one of his children to Molech. That person must be killed. It doesn’t matter if he is a citizen or a foreigner living in Israel. You must throw stones at him and kill him. 3 I will be against him. I will separate him from his people. This is because he gave his children to Molech. He showed that he did not respect my holy name. And he made my Holy Place unclean. 4 The people of the community might ignore that person. They might not kill the one who gave his children to Molech. 5 But I will be against him and his family. I will separate him from his people. I will do this to anyone who is unfaithful to me and who worships Molech.
6 “‘I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice. He is being unfaithful to me. So I will separate him from his people.
7 “‘Be my holy people. Be holy because I am holy. I am the Lord your God. 8 Remember and obey my laws. I am the Lord, and I have made you holy.
9 “‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother. So he must be punished.
Punishments for Sexual Sins
10 “‘A man might have physical relations with his neighbor’s wife. If he does, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery. So they must be put to death. 11 A man might have physical relations with his father’s wife. If he does, both the man and his father’s wife must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves. That man has shamed his father.
12 “‘A man might have physical relations with his daughter-in-law. If he does, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is not natural. It must be punished.
13 “‘A man might have physical relations with another man as a man does with a woman. If he does, these two men have done a hated sin. They must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.
14 “‘A man might have physical relations with both a woman and her mother. This is evil. The people must burn that man and the two women in fire. Do this so that your people will not be evil.
15 “‘A man might have unnatural physical relations with an animal. If he does, he must be put to death. And you must also kill the animal. 16 A woman might have unnatural physical relations with an animal. If she does, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.
17 “‘It is shameful for a brother to marry his sister and to have physical relations with her. In front of everyone they must both be separated from their people. The man has shamed his sister. And he is guilty of sin.
18 “‘If a man has physical relations with a woman during her monthly period, both the woman and the man must be separated from their people. They sinned because they showed the source of her blood.
19 “‘Do not have physical relations with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. That would shame a close relative. Both of you are guilty of this sin.
20 “‘A man must not have physical relations with his uncle’s wife. That would shame his uncle. That man and his uncle’s wife would die without children. They are guilty of sin.
21 “‘It is unclean for a man to marry his brother’s wife. That man has shamed his brother. They would have no children.
22 “‘Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am leading you to your own land. If you obey my laws and rules, that land will not throw you out. 23 I am forcing the people who live there out of that country ahead of you. Because they did all these sins I have hated them. Do not live the way those people lived.
24 “‘I have told you that you will get their land. I will give it to you as your very own. It is a land where much food grows. I am the Lord your God. I have set you apart from other people and made you my own. 25 So you must treat clean animals and birds differently from unclean animals. Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these unclean birds or animals or things that crawl on the ground. I have made them unclean for you. 26 I have set you apart from other people. So you must be holy to me. This is because I am the Lord, and I am holy.
27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium or a fortune-teller must be put to death. You must kill them with stones. They have brought it on themselves.’”
Leviticus 20
New International Version
Leviticus 20
New International Version
Punishments for Sin
20 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death.(A) The members of the community are to stone him.(B) 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people;(C) for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled(D) my sanctuary(E) and profaned my holy name.(F) 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death,(G) 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.
6 “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.(H)
7 “‘Consecrate yourselves(I) and be holy,(J) because I am the Lord your God.(K) 8 Keep my decrees(L) and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.(M)
9 “‘Anyone who curses their father(N) or mother(O) is to be put to death.(P) Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.(Q)
10 “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife(R)—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.(S)
11 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father.(T) Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.(U)
12 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law,(V) both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.(W) They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
14 “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother,(X) it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire,(Y) so that no wickedness will be among you.(Z)
15 “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal,(AA) he is to be put to death,(AB) 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 are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
17 “‘If a man marries his sister(AC), the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed(AD) from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.(AE)
18 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period,(AF) he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.(AG)
19 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father,(AH) for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.
20 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt,(AI) he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.(AJ)
21 “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife,(AK) it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.(AL)
22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws(AM) and follow them, so that the land(AN) where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations(AO) I am going to drive out before you.(AP) Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.(AQ) 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.”(AR) I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.(AS)
25 “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds.(AT) Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me(AU) because I, the Lord, am holy,(AV) and I have set you apart from the nations(AW) to be my own.
27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium(AX) or spiritist among you must be put to death.(AY) You are to stone them;(AZ) their blood will be on their own heads.’”
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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