Leviticus 20

Open Word Bible

The LORD spoke to Moses. He said, “Tell the Israelites: ‘Anyone from the Israelites, or from the outsiders living in Israel, who gives any of their children to Molech, to be made to pass through the fire, must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone that person. I myself will set my face against that person and will cut them off from among the people. For by giving a child to Molech, that person has made my sanctuary unclean and profaned my holy name. If the people of the land look the other way when that person gives one of their children to Molech, and do not put that person to death, then I will set my face against that person and their family, and I will cut off from among the people both that person and all who follow them in prostituting themselves to Molech. If anyone turns to mediums and spiritists, and so prostitutes themselves by following them, I will set my face against that person and cut them off from among the people. Keep yourselves consecrated, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes and follow them. I am the LORD; I make you holy. Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. Since they have cursed father or mother, the guilt for their death is their own. When a man commits adultery with a married woman, the wife of a fellow Israelite, the man and the woman who have committed adultery must both be put to death. If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has committed an offense against his father. Both of them must be put to death; the guilt for their deaths is their own. If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have done a perverse mixing; the guilt for their deaths is their own. If a man lies with a male as a man lies with a woman, the two of them have done a detestable act. They must be put to death; the guilt for their deaths is their own. A man who marries a woman and her mother as well has committed depravity. He and the two women are to be burned with fire. Then such depravity will not remain among you. A man who has intercourse with an animal must be put to death, and you are to kill the animal as well. When a woman goes to an animal to mate with it, you must kill the woman and the animal. Both must be put to death; the guilt for their deaths is their own. If a man marries his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of their people. He has had sexual relations with his sister, and he will bear the consequences of his guilt. If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has bared the place her blood flows from, and she has let it be uncovered. Both of them must be cut off from the people. Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for that is to lay bare a close relative. They will bear the consequences of their guilt. If a man has sexual relations with his uncle’s wife, he has committed an offense against his uncle. They will bear the consequences of their sin and die without children. A man who marries his brother’s wife does an unclean thing. He has committed an offense against his brother; the two of them will be childless. Keep all my statutes and all my rulings, and carry them out. Then the land to which I am bringing you to make your home will not vomit you out. Do not follow the practices of the nation I am driving out ahead of you. They did all these things, and I came to loathe them. I have told you that you will take over their land; I myself will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God; I have set you apart from the other peoples. So you must distinguish between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not make yourselves detestable through any animal or bird or anything that creeps on the ground, the creatures I have marked off for you as unclean. You must be holy to me, because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from the other peoples so that you will belong to me. A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned; the guilt for their deaths is their own.’”

Leviticus

Open the interactive reader to switch translations, adjust type, and mark verses — or browse verses by topic.

Scripture quotations are from the Open Word Bible, which is in the public domain.