Skip to scripture

Leviticus 18

God warns that the land itself will vomit out those who defile it with these practices.

LeviticusChapter 18 of 2730 versesBerean Standard Bible

In this passage: CanaanEgypt

Read Leviticus 18 and keep notes on it in Doxa's Daily Faith Steps.

1

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

3

You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs.

4

You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.

5

Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

“Quoted inRomans 10:5

The person who does these things will live by them

“For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.””

Read Romans 10:5›
“Quoted inGalatians 3:12

The person who does these things will live by them — law vs faith

“The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.””

Read Galatians 3:12›
6

None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.

7

You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

8

You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; it would dishonor your father.

9

You must not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.

10

You must not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for that would shame your family.

11

You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

12

You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

13

You must not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.

14

You must not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations with her; she is your aunt.

15

You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sexual relations with her.

16

You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.

17

You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved.

18

You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.

19

You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.

20

You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.

21

You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

22

You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.

23

You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.

24

Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.

25

Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.

26

But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you.

27

For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.

28

So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.

29

Therefore anyone who commits any of these abominations must be cut off from among his people.

30

You must keep My charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.”

How to Hear God’s Voice: A Practical Guide for BelieversScripture is the record of a God who speaks. This guide covers how to hear Him today and keep what He says.

Cross-references for Leviticus 18

  • Leviticus 18:5Galatians 3:12

    “The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.””

  • Leviticus 18:21Deuteronomy 12:31

    “You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”

  • Leviticus 18:22Leviticus 20:13

    “If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”

  • Leviticus 18:22Romans 1:26

    “For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.”

  • Leviticus 18:24Deuteronomy 18:12

    “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, licensed CC BY.

Leviticus 18 on Doxa

Have a question about Leviticus 18?

On Doxa, you can have a personal interaction about any scripture. Ask questions, explore context, and discover connections.

Real stories about these themes

Read testimonies from real people connected to what you're reading.

Explore Related Topics

Keep notes on Leviticus 18

In the Doxa app, a note on any verse is kept as a step in Daily Faith Steps and shows beside that verse each time you read it again, in any translation.

Doxa