1 Yahweh said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am Yahweh your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes. 4 You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am Yahweh your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am Yahweh. 6 "'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh. 7 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's nakedness. 9 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad. 10 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness. 11 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister. 12 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister: she is your father's near kinswoman. 13 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister: for she is your mother's near kinswoman. 14 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, you shall not approach his wife: she is your aunt. 15 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's nakedness. 17 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are near kinswomen: it is wickedness. 18 "'You shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet alive. 19 "'You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness. 20 "'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her. 21 "'You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am Yahweh. 22 "'You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable. 23 "'You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion. 24 "'Don't defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled. 25 The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you; 27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled); 28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 "'For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am Yahweh your God.'"
The people are commanded to avoid the doings of the Egyptians and Canaanites, Leviticus 18:1-3. They are to do God's judgments, and to keep his ordinances, that they may live, Leviticus 18:4, Leviticus 18:5. Marriages with those who are near of kin are prohibited, Leviticus 18:6. None to marry with his mother or step-mother, Leviticus 18:7, Leviticus 18:8; with his sister or step-sister, Leviticus 18:9; with his grand-daughter, Leviticus 18:10; nor with the daughter of his step-mother, Leviticus 18:11; nor with his aunt, by father or mother, Leviticus 18:12, Leviticus 18:13; nor with his uncle's wife, Leviticus 18:14; nor with his daughter-in-law, Leviticus 18:15; nor sister-in-law, Leviticus 18:16; nor with a woman and her daughter, son's daughter, or daughter's daughter, Leviticus 18:17; nor with two sisters at the same time, Leviticus 18:18. Several abominations prohibited, Leviticus 18:19-23, of which the Canaanites, etc., were guilty, and for which they were cast out of the land, Leviticus 18:24, Leviticus 18:25. The people are exhorted to avoid these abominations, lest they be treated as the ancient inhabitants of the land were treated, and so cast out, Leviticus 18:26-28. Threatenings against the disobedient, Leviticus 18:29, and promises to the obedient, Leviticus 18:30.
INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 18
In this chapter the Israelites are directed in general not to imitate the customs and practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites, but to keep the ordinances, statutes, and judgments of the Lord, Leviticus 18:1; and they are instructed particularly to avoid incestuous marriages, Leviticus 18:6; carnal copulation with a menstruous woman, Leviticus 18:19; adultery, Leviticus 18:20; letting any of their seed pass through the fire to Molech, Leviticus 18:21; sodomy, Leviticus 18:22; and bestiality, Leviticus 18:23; and they are deterred from these things by observing to them the pollution and destruction which they brought on the inhabitants of Canaan, and would bring the same on them should they commit them, Leviticus 18:24.
Unlawful marriages and fleshly lusts.
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