Laws on Sexual Relations

1YHWH said to Moses, 2“You are to speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘I am YHWH y’all’s God. 3Y’all must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where y’all lived, and y’all must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing y’all. Y’all must not walk according to their statutes. 4Y’all must do my ordinances, and keep my statutes by walking in them. I am YHWH y’all’s God. 5Y’all are to keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a human does, they will live in them. I am YHWH.

6“‘Not one of y’all is to approach any flesh of their flesh to uncover their nakedness: I am YHWH.

7“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother, you must not uncover her nakedness.

8“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.

9“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.

10“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness, for theirs is your own nakedness.

11“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.

12“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s flesh.

13“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s flesh.

14“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You must not approach his wife. She is your aunt.

15“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife, and you must not uncover her nakedness.

16“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.

17“‘You must not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You must not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are close relatives. It is wickedness.

18“‘You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife, to uncover her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

19“‘You must not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity.

20“‘You must not give your seed through sexual intercourse to your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.

21“‘You must not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You must not profane the name of your God. I am YHWH.

22“‘You must not lie in a bed with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.

23“‘You must not have sexual intercourse with any animal and defile yourself with it. No woman is to present herself to an animal to lie down with it. That is a perversion.

24“‘Y’all must not defile yourselves* in any of these things, because the nations I am driving out before y’all were defiled by all these things. 25The land was defiled, so I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 26But y’all must keep my statutes and my ordinances and not do any of these abominations, neither the native-born, nor the foreigner who lives among y’all. 27For the men who were in the before y’all did all these abominations, and the land became defiled. 28If y’all defile the land, it will vomit y’all out also, as it vomited out the nation that was before y’all.

29“‘For whoever does any of these abominations, the souls that do them must be cut off from among their people. 30Therefore y’all must keep my requirements and not practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before y’all, so y’all do not defile yourselves* with them. I am YHWH y’all’s God.’”