Leviticus 20

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 2 “Tell the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob], ‘Any Israelite [a son of Israel] or foreigner [a sojourner, a temporary resident] living in Israel [the land of the covenant] who gives [sacrifices, dedicates] any of his children [seed, offspring] to Molech [the idol of the Ammonites, a false god] must be put to death [executed, killed as a punishment]. The people of the land [the community, the nation] are to stone him [kill him by throwing stones, as a form of capital punishment]. word study 3 And I [the Lord, personally] will set My face [presence, countenance] against that man and cut him off [separate, destroy] from his people, because by giving [sacrificing, dedicating] his offspring [seed, children] to Molech [the false god, idol], he has defiled [made unclean, polluted] My sanctuary [holy place, temple] and profaned [desecrated, dishonored] My holy [set apart, sacred] name. word study 4 And if the people [nation, community] of the land [earth, territory] ever hide [conceal, ignore] their eyes and fail [neglect, overlook] to put to death [execute, slay] the man [individual, person] who gives [offers, sacrifices] one of his children [offspring, seed] to Molech [the false god, idol], word study 5 then I [the Lord, personally] will set My face [presence, countenance] against that man [individual, person] and his family [household, clan] and cut off [separate, destroy] from among their people [nation, community] both him and all who follow [go after, imitate] him in prostituting [fornicating, idolizing] themselves with Molech [the false god, idol]. word study 6 Whoever turns [to follow, to seek guidance from] to mediums [those who consult spirits, spiritists] or spiritists [wizards, those with familiar spirits] to prostitute [commit spiritual adultery, fornicate] himself with them, I will also set My face [My presence, My attention] against that person and cut him off [separate, destroy] from his people [his nation, community]. word study 7 Consecrate [set apart, sanctify] yourselves, therefore, and be [exist as, come into being as] holy [set apart, sacred, having God’s nature], because I [as the first person, the speaker] am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme one, Judge of all]. word study 8 And you shall keep [obey carefully, guard] My statutes [ordinances, divine laws] and practice [do, carry out] them. I am [exist as] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] who sanctifies [consecrates, sets apart as holy] you. word study 9 If anyone [every person, including children] curses [to revile, bring into contempt] his father [parental authority, guardian] or mother [nourisher, caregiver], he must be put to death [executed, sentenced to die]. He has cursed [brought a curse upon] his father or mother; his blood [the source of life] shall be upon him [his own responsibility, his guilt]. word study 10 If a man [male person, individual] commits adultery [is unfaithful, has sex relations] with another man’s wife [neighbor’s woman, someone’s spouse]—with the wife [woman, female partner] of his neighbor [friend, close associate]—both the adulterer [one who commits adultery, is unfaithful] and the adulteress [one who commits adultery, is unfaithful] must surely [certainly, without a doubt] be put to death [die, receive the death penalty]. word study 11 If a man [a male person, individual] lies [has sexual relations, to rest or sleep with] with his father’s wife [the woman married to his father], he has uncovered [revealed, exposed] his father’s nakedness [shame, private parts]. Both [the two, a pair] must surely be put to death [executed, killed as a punishment]; their blood [the liquid essential for life] is upon them [their responsibility, on their own heads]. word study 12 If a man [male person, individual] lies [has sexual relations, to rest] with his daughter-in-law [bride, son’s wife], both [the two, pair] must surely be put to death [executed, punished by death]. They have acted [done, made] perversely [in a perverted manner, unnaturally]; their blood [life force] is upon them [their responsibility, their punishment]. word study 13 If a man [male, a male person] lies [has sexual relations, to lie down] with a man [male, a male person] as with a woman [female, a female person], they have both committed [done, made] an abomination [a disgusting thing, something detestable]. They must surely [certainly, without a doubt] be put to death [die, executed]; their blood [the liquid that flows through the body] is upon them [their responsibility, their guilt]. word study 14 If a man [male person, individual] marries [takes as wife] both a woman [female person, wife] and her mother [female parent, maternal figure], it is depraved [wickedness, evil plan, zimmah]. Both he and they [all three of them] must be burned [set on fire, kindled] in the fire [burning, flame], so that there will be [exist, come into being] no [absence of] depravity [wickedness, zimmah] among [in the midst of] you. word study 15 If a man [a male person, individual] lies carnally [has sex, copulates] with an animal [beast, livestock], he must be put to death [executed, killed]. And you are also to kill [slay, destroy] the animal [beast, creature]. word study 16 If a woman [female person, wife] approaches [to present herself, come near] any animal [beast, livestock] to mate [to lie down, have sex] with it, you must kill [slay, put to death] both the woman and the animal [beast, quadruped mammal]. They must surely [certainly, without fail] be put to death [die, killed]; their blood [life force] is upon them [their responsibility, their punishment]. word study 17 If a man [a male person, individual] marries his sister [biological sibling, close relative], whether the daughter [female child, woman] of his father [parent, ancestor] or of his mother [female parent, nurturer], and they have sexual relations [intimate, physical union], it is a disgrace [shame, wicked thing]. They must be cut off [separated, removed] in the sight of their people [community, nation]. He has uncovered [revealed, exposed] the nakedness [shame, vulnerability] of his sister [close relative]; he shall bear [carry, endure] his iniquity [moral evil, sin]. word study 18 If a man [a male person, individual] lies with a menstruating woman [a female person, wife] and has sexual relations [is intimate, has sex] with her, he has exposed [uncovered, revealed] the source [fountain, origin] of her flow [blood, menstrual period], and she has uncovered [revealed, made bare] the source [fountain, origin] of her blood [life, vitality]. Both of them must be cut off [separated, destroyed] from among their people [nation, community]. word study 19 You must not have sexual relations [intimate connections, uncover the nakedness] with the sister [biological or close relative] of your mother [female parent or maternal figure] or your father [father or paternal figure], for it is exposing [uncovering, revealing] one’s own kin [flesh, relatives by blood]; both shall bear [lift, carry] their iniquity [moral evil, sin]. word study 20 If a man [a male person, individual] lies [to rest, sleep, or have sexual relations] with his uncle’s wife [aunt, the wife of his father’s brother], he has uncovered [revealed, exposed] the nakedness [shame, exposure] of his uncle [beloved, close relative]. They will bear [lift, carry] their sin [crime, guilt, offense]; they shall die [be punished with death] childless [without kids, bare, destitute of children]. word study 21 If a man [male person, individual] marries [takes as wife, becomes the husband of] his brother’s [male sibling, close relative] wife, it is an act [deed, action] of impurity [uncleanness, moral corruption]. He has uncovered [revealed, exposed] the nakedness [shame, exposure] of his brother; they shall be [will remain, become] childless [without children, barren]. word study 22 You are therefore to keep [obey carefully, guard] all My statutes [ordinances, divine laws] and ordinances [judgments, regulations], so that the land [earth, territory] where I am bringing you to live [dwell, reside] will not vomit [spue out, reject] you out. word study 23 You must not follow [walk in, imitate] the statutes [customs, laws] of the nations [Gentiles, heathen] I am driving out [casting out, expelling] before you. Because they did [committed, practiced] all these things [evil deeds, abominations], I abhorred [loathed, detested] them. word study 24 But I have told you [promised, spoken to] that you will inherit [take possession of, receive as a legacy] their land, since I will give [bestow, grant] it to you as an inheritance [a gift, a heritage]—a land [territory, region] flowing [abundant, overflowing] with milk and honey [a sweet and valuable resource]. I am the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God], who has set [separated, distinguished] you apart from the peoples [nations, Gentiles]. word study 25 You are therefore to distinguish [make a separation, set apart] between clean [pure, ceremonially acceptable] and unclean [impure, defiled] animals [beasts, quadruped mammals] and birds [fowl, winged creatures]. Do not become contaminated [defiled, made unclean] by any animal [beast, living creature] or bird [fowl, winged creature], or by anything that crawls [moves, creeps] on the ground [earth, land]; I have set these apart [separated, designated] as unclean [impure, unacceptable] for you. word study 26 You are to be [exist as, come into being] holy [set apart, sacred] to Me because I, the LORD [Yehovah], am holy [separate from sin, uniquely divine], and I have set you apart [separated, distinguished] from the nations [peoples, Gentiles] to be My own [possessed, beloved]. word study 27 A man [or male person] or a woman [female person, wife] who is a medium [one who consults the dead, spiritist] or spiritist [wizard, having a familiar spirit] must surely be put to death [executed, killed as a punishment]. They shall be stoned [killed by throwing stones]; their blood [the liquid essential for life] is upon them [their responsibility, their own fault].’” word study