Molech Worship and Spiritism

20 The Lord spoke to Moses: “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) 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) 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, 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.

“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. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. Keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who sets you apart.

Family and Sexual Offenses

“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

  1. Leviticus 20:3 Lit will set My face
  2. Leviticus 20:4 Lit country ever close their eyes from that man when he
  3. Leviticus 20:5 Lit will set My face
  4. Leviticus 20:5 Lit prostitute themselves with
  5. Leviticus 20:6 Or spirits of the dead
  6. Leviticus 20:6 Or familiar spirits
  7. Leviticus 20:6 Lit will set My face
  8. Leviticus 20:9 Lit on him
  9. Leviticus 20:11 Lit on them
  10. Leviticus 20:12 Lit on them
  11. Leviticus 20:13 Lit on them
  12. Leviticus 20:15 Lit man gives his emission to
  13. Leviticus 20:17 Lit and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness
  14. Leviticus 20:27 Lit is in them
  15. Leviticus 20:27 Lit on them

Punishments for Sin

20 The Lord said to Moses, “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) 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) 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) 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.

“‘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)

“‘Consecrate yourselves(I) and be holy,(J) because I am the Lord your God.(K) Keep my decrees(L) and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.(M)

“‘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.’”