18:1 The LORD said to Moses,

18:2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God.

18:3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.

18:4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.

18:5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

18:6 "'No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.

18:7 "'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.

18:8 "'Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father.

18:9 "'Do 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.

18:10 "'Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you.

18:11 "'Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

18:12 "'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative.

18:13 "'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative.

18:14 "'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.

18:15 "'Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her.

18:16 "'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.

18:17 "'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.

18:18 "'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

18:19 "'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.

18:20 "'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.

18:21 "'Do 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.

18:22 "'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

18:23 "'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.

18:24 "'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

18:25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

18:26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things,

18:27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled.

18:28 And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

18:29 "'Everyone who does any of these detestable things--such persons must be cut off from their people.

18:30 Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.'"