וַיִּקְרָא

Leviticus — Chapter 18

Sexual Laws — The Holiness of Covenant Relationships

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Read Leviticus Chapter 18 in Biblical Hebrew alongside the King James Version (KJV) — 30 verses. Sexual Laws — The Holiness of Covenant Relationships. Original Hebrew text with vowel points (nikud) and full English translation.

1
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
KJVAnd the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
The LORD said to Moses
2
דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
KJVSpeak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am the LORD your God
3
כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵלֵכוּ
KJVAfter the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
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
4
אֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ וְאֶת חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
KJVYe shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God
5
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם אֲנִי יְהוָה
KJVYe shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD
6
אִישׁ אִישׁ אֶל כָּל שְׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא תִקְרְבוּ לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָה אֲנִי יְהוָה
KJVNone of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD
7
עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ וְעֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה אִמְּךָ הִוא לֹא תְגַלֶּה עֶרְוָתָהּ
KJVThe nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her
8
עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ הִוא
KJVThe nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.
Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father
9
עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹתְךָ בַת אָבִיךָ אוֹ בַת אִמֶּךָ מוֹלֶדֶת בַּיִת אוֹ מוֹלֶדֶת חוּץ לֹא תְגַלֶּה עֶרְוָתָן
KJVThe nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
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
10
עֶרְוַת בַּת בִּנְךָ אוֹ בַת בִּתְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֶּה עֶרְוָתָן כִּי עֶרְוָתְךָ הֵנָּה
KJVThe nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you
11
עֶרְוַת בַּת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ מוֹלֶדֶת אָבִיךָ אֲחוֹתְךָ הִוא לֹא תְגַלֶּה עֶרְוָתָהּ
KJVThe nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister
12
עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ הִוא
KJVThou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.
Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative
13
עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה כִּי שְׁאֵר אִמְּךָ הִוא
KJVThou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.
Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative
14
עֶרְוַת אֲחִי אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה אֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ לֹא תִקְרָב דֹּדָתְךָ הִוא
KJVThou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt
15
עֶרְוַת כַּלָּתְךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה אֵשֶׁת בִּנְךָ הִוא לֹא תְגַלֶּה עֶרְוָתָהּ
KJVThou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her
16
עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָחִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה עֶרְוַת אָחִיךָ הִוא
KJVThou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.
Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother
17
עֶרְוַת אִשָּׁה וּבִתָּהּ לֹא תְגַלֵּה אֶת בַּת בְּנָהּ וְאֶת בַּת בִּתָּהּ לֹא תִקַּח לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ שַׁאֲרָה הֵנָּה זִמָּה הִוא
KJVThou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
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
וְאִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחֹתָהּ לֹא תִקָּח לִצְרֹר לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ עָלֶיהָ בְּחַיֶּיהָ
KJVNeither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living
19
וְאֶל אִשָּׁה בְּנִדַּת טֻמְאָתָהּ לֹא תִקְרַב לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ
KJVAlso thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period
20
וְאֶל אֵשֶׁת עֲמִיתְךָ לֹא תִתֵּן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ לְזָרַע לְטָמְאָה בָהּ
KJVMoreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.
Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her
21
וּמִזַּרְעֲךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לְהַעֲבִיר לַמֹּלֶךְ וְלֹא תְחַלֵּל אֶת שֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה
KJVAnd thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD
22
וְאֶת זָכָר לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה תּוֹעֵבָה הִוא
KJVThou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable
23
וּבְכָל בְּהֵמָה לֹא תִתֵּן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ לְטָמְאָה בָהּ וְאִשָּׁה לֹא תַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי בְהֵמָה לְרִבְעָהּ תֶּבֶל הוּא
KJVNeither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
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
24
אַל תִּטַּמְּאוּ בְּכָל אֵלֶּה כִּי בְכָל אֵלֶּה נִטְמְאוּ הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ מִפְּנֵיכֶם
KJVDefile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
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
25
וַתִּטְמָא הָאָרֶץ וָאֶפְקֹד עֲוֹנָהּ עָלֶיהָ וַתָּקִא הָאָרֶץ אֶת יֹשְׁבֶיהָ
KJVAnd the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants
26
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אַתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ מִכֹּל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה הָאֶזְרָח וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם
KJVYe shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things
27
כִּי אֶת כָּל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵל עָשׂוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם וַתִּטְמָא הָאָרֶץ
KJV(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled
28
וְלֹא תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם בְּטַמַּאֲכֶם אֹתָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר קָאָה אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם
KJVThat the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you
29
כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה מִכֹּל הַתּוֹעֵבוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְנִכְרְתוּ הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָעֹשֹׂת מִקֶּרֶב עַמָּם
KJVFor whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people
30
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת מִשְׁמַרְתִּי לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת מֵחֻקּוֹת הַתּוֹעֵבֹת אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ לִפְנֵיכֶם וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
KJVTherefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
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
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