Leviticus 18

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.

2Tell the people of Israel this: I am the LORD your God.

3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

3Do not live the way people live in Egypt, where you used to live. Do not live the way people live in Canaan, the land I am bringing you to. Do not follow their customs.

4Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

4Do what I say is right. Keep my rules and live by them. I am the LORD your God.

5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

5So keep my rules and my laws. Whoever obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

6None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

6No one may be with a close family member the way a husband is with a wife. I am the LORD.

NoteThe old English says "uncover their nakedness." That was a polite way of saying being together the way a husband and wife are.

7The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

7Do not be that way with your mother. She is your mother. It would also shame your father.

8The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.

8Do not be that way with your father's wife. That would shame your father.

9The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

9Do not be that way with your sister. This is true if she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter. It is true whether she grew up in your home or somewhere else.

10The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.

10Do not be that way with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter. They are your own family. It would shame you.

11The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

11Do not be that way with the daughter of your father's wife, if your father is her father. She is your sister.

12Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.

12Do not be that way with your father's sister. She is your father's close relative.

13Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.

13Do not be that way with your mother's sister. She is your mother's close relative.

14Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.

14Do not shame your father's brother by going to his wife that way. She is your aunt.

15Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

15Do not be that way with your son's wife. She is your son's wife. Do not be with her.

16Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

16Do not be that way with your brother's wife. That would shame your brother.

17Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

17Do not be that way with both a woman and her daughter. Do not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter either. They are her close relatives. Doing this is very wrong.

18Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.

18Do not marry your wife's sister while your wife is still alive. That would make the two sisters fight over you.

19Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.

19Do not go to a woman that way during the days of her monthly bleeding.

NoteThe old English says a woman "put apart for her uncleanness." It means the days each month when a woman bleeds.

20Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.

20Do not be that way with your neighbor's wife. It would make you dirty in God's eyes.

21And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

21Do not hand over any of your children to be burned as a gift to Molech, a false god. Do not treat my name as if it were nothing. I am the LORD.

22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

22A man must not be with another man the way a man is with a woman. God says this is a terrible wrong.

23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

23No man may be with an animal that way. It would make him dirty in God's eyes. No woman may stand before an animal to mate with it. This mixes up what God made separate.

24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

24Do not make yourselves dirty by doing any of these things. The nations I am pushing out ahead of you did all of them.

25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

25Even the land became dirty. So I am punishing the land for its sin. The land is spitting out the people who live there.

26Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

26So keep my rules and my laws. Do not do any of these terrible things. This goes for people born here and for visitors living among you.

27(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

27The people who lived in this land before you did all these terrible things. That is how the land became dirty.

28That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

28If you make the land dirty, it will spit you out too. That is what it did to the nations before you.

29For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

29Anyone who does these terrible things must be cut off from his people.

Note"Cut off from his people" means sent away from the group, no longer counted as one of them.

30Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

30So keep the rules I give you. Do not follow any of the terrible customs from before you came. Do not make yourselves dirty by doing them. I am the LORD your God.