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The LORD spoke to Moses:
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“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: I am the LORD your God.
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You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you once lived; and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their customs.
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You shall keep My ordinances and observe My statutes, and walk in them; I am the LORD your God.
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You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances. The one who does them shall live by them; I am the LORD.
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None of you shall approach any close relative to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife, for she belongs to your father; she is your mother, so you shall not uncover her nakedness.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife, for she belongs to your father.
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As for the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born in your father’s house or born outside it, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
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As for the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, you shall not uncover her nakedness, for by this you would dishonor your offspring.
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As for the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born to your father himself, you shall not uncover her nakedness, for she is your sister.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister, for she is your father’s relative.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother’s wife; you shall not approach his wife, for she is your uncle’s wife.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law, for she is your son’s wife; therefore you shall not uncover her nakedness.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife, for that is your brother’s right.
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You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness, for they are her close relatives; that is lewdness.
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You shall not take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
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You shall not approach a woman during the uncleanness of her monthly impurity, to uncover her nakedness.
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And you shall not lie with your neighbor’s wife, and so make yourself unclean with her.
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You shall not give any of your children to be offered to Molech, and so profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.
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Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination.
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You shall not have sexual relations with any animal, and so make yourself unclean with it. A woman shall not stand before an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is a perverse act.
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Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, for by all these things the nations that I am driving out before you have become defiled.
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The land has become defiled, and I have visited its guilt upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants.
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But you shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and do none of these abominations, neither the native-born nor the stranger who lives among you,
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—for all these abominations were done by the people of the land who were before you, and the land became defiled—
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so that the land may not vomit you out when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
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For whoever does any of these abominations, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
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Thus you shall keep my charge, and do not practice any of these detestable customs that were practiced before you, and do not defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.”
🔞🏛️🕊️ Summary of Leviticus 18 – Prohibitions of Unholy Sexual Relations
Leviticus 18 contains regulations about prohibitions of sexual relations that are not in keeping with holiness, which set God’s people apart from the other nations. The Lord commands Israel to not follow the practices of sexual immorality and sexual perversion common in Egypt and Canaan.
1. Living According to God’s Law, Not the Customs of Other Nations (verses 1–5)
- The Lord declares:
“Do not act as the Egyptians and the Canaanites act…”
- The Israelites must live according to the Lord’s statutes and commands, which bring life and blessing.
📌 Obedience to God’s law is the mark of a holy people, not imitation of the world.
2. Prohibitions of Forbidden Sexual Relations (verses 6–23)
✅ The Lord protects the dignity and boundaries of the family with clear prohibitions:
Some main prohibitions:
- Sexual relations with blood relatives or in-laws (incest)
⚠️ These practices were commonly carried out by the pagan nations in that time, including as part of idol-worship rituals.
3. National Consequences (verses 24–30)
- The Lord warned that the earlier nations were driven out of the land of Canaan because of these unclean practices.
- If Israel followed the same path, the land would also vomit them out.
- The Lord called His people to keep the nation and its descendants holy.
📖 Main Teaching
- The Lord sets clear moral standards, not based on culture, but on His holiness.
- Sexuality is God’s creation and must be kept within the bounds of holy marriage.
- Deviant sexual practices defile both people and community.
- A nation that does not guard morality will face ruin and judgment.
- The family is a holy institution protected by God’s law.
✨ Spiritual Meaning
- Holiness is not only about worship, but also touching the body, sex, and family.
- Jesus taught that sexual sin begins in the heart (Matthew 5:28)—so holiness is not only outward action, but also inward intent.
- In the New Testament, we are called to be the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18–20), turning away from sexual immorality and sexual sin.
