Chapters

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27

Old Testament

New Testament

Leviticus 20 International Children’s Bible (ICB)

Warnings About Various Sins

1. The Lord said to Moses,

2. “You must also tell the people of Israel these things: ‘A person in your country might give one of his children to Molech. That person must be killed. It doesn’t matter if he is a citizen or a foreigner living in Israel. You must throw stones at him and kill him.

3. I will be against him. I will separate him from his people. This is because he gave his children to Molech. He showed that he did not respect my holy name. And he made my Holy Place unclean.

4. The people of the community might ignore that person. They might not kill the one who gave his children to Molech.

5. But I will be against him and his family. I will separate him from his people. I will do this to anyone who is unfaithful to me and who worships Molech.

6. “‘I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice. He is being unfaithful to me. So I will separate him from his people.

7. “‘Be my holy people. Be holy because I am holy. I am the Lord your God.

8. Remember and obey my laws. I am the Lord, and I have made you holy.

9. “‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother. So he must be punished.

Punishments for Sexual Sins

10. “‘A man might have physical relations with his neighbor’s wife. If he does, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery. So they must be put to death.

11. A man might have physical relations with his father’s wife. If he does, both the man and his father’s wife must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves. That man has shamed his father.

12. “‘A man might have physical relations with his daughter-in-law. If he does, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is not natural. It must be punished.

13. “‘A man might have physical relations with another man as a man does with a woman. If he does, these two men have done a hated sin. They must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

14. “‘A man might have physical relations with both a woman and her mother. This is evil. The people must burn that man and the two women in fire. Do this so that your people will not be evil.

15. “‘A man might have unnatural physical relations with an animal. If he does, he must be put to death. And you must also kill the animal.

16. A woman might have unnatural physical relations with an animal. If she does, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

17. “‘It is shameful for a brother to marry his sister and to have physical relations with her. In front of everyone they must both be separated from their people. The man has shamed his sister. And he is guilty of sin.

18. “‘If a man has physical relations with a woman during her monthly period, both the woman and the man must be separated from their people. They sinned because they showed the source of her blood.

19. “‘Do not have physical relations with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. That would shame a close relative. Both of you are guilty of this sin.

20. “‘A man must not have physical relations with his uncle’s wife. That would shame his uncle. That man and his uncle’s wife would die without children. They are guilty of sin.

21. “‘It is unclean for a man to marry his brother’s wife. That man has shamed his brother. They would have no children.

22. “‘Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am leading you to your own land. If you obey my laws and rules, that land will not throw you out.

23. I am forcing the people who live there out of that country ahead of you. Because they did all these sins I have hated them. Do not live the way those people lived.

24. “‘I have told you that you will get their land. I will give it to you as your very own. It is a land where much food grows. I am the Lord your God. I have set you apart from other people and made you my own.

25. So you must treat clean animals and birds differently from unclean animals. Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these unclean birds or animals or things that crawl on the ground. I have made them unclean for you.

26. I have set you apart from other people. So you must be holy to me. This is because I am the Lord, and I am holy.

27. “‘A man or woman who is a medium or a fortune-teller must be put to death. You must kill them with stones. They have brought it on themselves.’”