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Leviticus 20
New Catholic Bible
Leviticus 20
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 20[a]
Consequences of Forbidden Behavior. 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say again to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever among you sacrifices his child to Molech, whether he be of the children of Israel or of the aliens dwelling in your land, must be put to death. The people of the land will stone him.[b] 3 I will set my face against that man, and cut him off from among his people, for he has sacrificed his child to Molech, defiling my sanctuary and profaning my holy name. 4 If the people of the land ignore the fact that a man has sacrificed his child to Molech, and they do not kill him, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his people, and I will cut him off, and I will cut off from their people all who go whoring after him, all those who whore after Molech.
6 “ ‘I will turn my face against that person who consults mediums and wizards, and I will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am the Lord, your God. 8 You shall observe my statutes and obey them. I am the Lord who consecrates you.
9 “ ‘Everyone who curses his father or his mother must be put to death. He who curses his father or his mother[c] is guilty of his blood. 10 When a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. 11 The man who sleeps with his father’s wife has uncovered the nakedness of his father. They must be put to death; their blood is upon their own heads. 12 If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have done something perverse and their blood is upon their own heads. 13 If a man has sex with another man, like one would have sex with a woman, both of them must be put to death. Their blood is upon their own heads. 14 It is lewd for a man to marry a woman and her mother. Both he and they are to be burned with fire so that there might not be any lewdness among you. 15 If a man has sex with an animal, he must die. You shall also slay the animal. 16 If a woman approaches an animal to have sex with it, you shall kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death, for their blood is upon their own heads. 17 If a man marries his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is shameful. They shall be cut off from their people, for he uncovered his sister’s nakedness and he shall bear his guilt.[d]
18 “ ‘If a man has sex with a woman during her menstrual time, they shall have uncovered her flow of blood, and they shall both be cut off from among their people. 19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for someone who uncovers a close relation shall bear his guilt. 20 A man shall not have sex with his uncle’s wife, for he shall have laid bare his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their guilt and die childless. 21 It is unclean for a man to marry his brother’s wife for he shall have uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
22 “ ‘You shall therefore observe all of my statutes and ordinances and obey them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to dwell in will not vomit you out. 23 You shall not follow the ways of the nations that I cast out before you for having done all these things that I abhorred. 24 But I have said to you, “You will inherit their land. I will give it to you to be your own, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord, your God, who chose you from among all people.” 25 You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, so that you shall not make yourselves detestable by any animal or bird or anything that creeps on the ground that I indicated as being unclean. 26 You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, am holy. I have chosen you from among all people that you shall be mine.
27 “ ‘A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard must be put to death. You will stone them with stones, for their blood is upon their heads.’ ”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 20:1 Those who disobeyed the prohibitions mandated by the law (many of these are listed in chapter 18) were severely punished: either condemned to death or expelled from the community. The severity is explained by the ways of that time; it shows how deeply rooted in the cultural environment of that period was the demand that drove Israel to protect itself from the pagan customs with which it was in constant contact: the holy God wanted his chosen people to be holy. Despite the conclusion (vv. 22-24), this legislation supposes that the Hebrews were already settled in the land of Canaan.
- Leviticus 20:2 Such pagan practices as sacrificing children to Molech had found their way into Israel (2 Ki 16:3).
- Leviticus 20:9 Curses his father or his mother: a death penalty for cursing a parent seems extreme, even under Levitical law. It is probable that this would be intended for serious and repeated offenses as described in Deut 21:20-21.
- Leviticus 20:17 This is the only instance of public punishment.
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.’”
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