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Leviticus 18:7-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Leviticus 18:7-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
7 [a]You shall not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother.(A) She is your own mother; you shall not have intercourse with her. 8 You shall not have intercourse with your father’s wife, for that would be a disgrace to your father. 9 You shall not have intercourse with your sister,[b](B) your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in your own household or born elsewhere. 10 You shall not have intercourse with your son’s daughter or with your daughter’s daughter,[c] for that would be a disgrace to you. 11 You shall not have intercourse with the daughter whom your father’s wife bore to him in his household,(C) since she, too, is your sister. 12 You shall not have intercourse with your father’s sister,(D) since she is your father’s relative. 13 You shall not have intercourse with your mother’s sister, since she is your mother’s relative. 14 You shall not disgrace your father’s brother by having sexual relations with his wife,(E) since she, too, is your aunt. 15 You shall not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law;[d](F) she is your son’s wife; you shall not have intercourse with her. 16 You shall not have intercourse with your brother’s wife;[e](G) that would be a disgrace to your brother. 17 You shall not have intercourse with a woman and also with her daughter, nor shall you marry and have intercourse with her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter;(H) they are related to her. This would be shameful. 18 While your wife is still living you shall not marry her sister as her rival and have intercourse with her.(I)
19 You shall not approach a woman to have intercourse with her while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.(J) 20 You shall not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife,[f](K) defiling yourself with her.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 18:7–8 Cf. the story of Reuben lying with Bilhah, his father’s concubine and Rachel’s maid (Gn 35:22; 49:4).
- 18:9, 11 Cf. actual or possible marriage to a half sister in Gn 20:12 and 2 Sm 13:13.
- 18:10 Daughter incest is found in the story of Lot (Gn 19:30–38).
- 18:15 Judah had intercourse with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gn 38), but did not know her true identity until her pregnancy was discovered.
- 18:16 This refers to cohabiting with one’s sister-in-law not only while the brother is alive, but also after he is dead. Dt 25:5–10 allows for the marriage to the wife of a brother when that brother died without a male heir. Cf. Gn 38:6–14. It was the violation of this law of Leviticus which aroused the wrath of John the Baptist against Herod Antipas (Mt 14:4; Mk 6:18).
- 18:20 Adultery in the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East is intercourse between a married or betrothed woman and any male. In the Bible it is generally punishable by the death of both individuals (20:10; cf. Dt 22:22–27). Intercourse with an unmarried or unbetrothed woman is not prohibited but carries responsibilities and fines (cf. Ex 22:15–16; Dt 22:28–29). Cf. Lv 19:20–22.
Leviticus 18:7-20
New International Version
Leviticus 18:7-20
New International Version
7 “‘Do not dishonor your father(A) by having sexual relations with your mother.(B) She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife;(C) that would dishonor your father.(D)
9 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister,(E) either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.(F)
10 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.
11 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister;(G) she is your father’s close relative.
13 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister,(H) because she is your mother’s close relative.
14 “‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.(I)
15 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law.(J) She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.(K)
16 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife;(L) that would dishonor your brother.
17 “‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter.(M) 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 “‘Do not take your wife’s sister(N) as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
19 “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness(O) of her monthly period.(P)
20 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife(Q) and defile yourself with her.
Leviticus 20:10-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Leviticus 20:10-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
10 [a]If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife,(A) both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. 11 If a man disgraces his father by lying with his father’s wife,(B) the two of them shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law,(C) both of them shall be put to death; they have done what is perverse; their bloodguilt is upon them. 13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman,(D) they have committed an abomination; the two of them shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother also,(E) that is shameful conduct; the man and the two women as well shall be burned to death, so that shamefulness may not be found among you. 15 If a man has sexual relations with an animal,(F) the man shall be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman goes up to any animal to mate with it,(G) you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall both be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 17 If a man marries his sister,(H) his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and they have intercourse with each other, that is disgraceful; they shall be publicly cut off[b] from the people; the man shall bear the penalty of having had intercourse with his own sister. 18 If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and has intercourse with her, he has laid bare the source of her flow and she has uncovered it.(I) The two of them shall be cut off from the people. 19 You shall not have intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister,(J) because that dishonors one’s own flesh; they shall bear their penalty. 20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he disgraces his uncle;(K) they shall bear the penalty; they shall die childless. 21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is severe defilement and he has disgraced his brother;(L) they shall be childless.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 20:10–21 See 18:6–23 and notes there. It appears that the inclusion of various penalties in 20:10–21 accounts for the different order of the cases here compared to the order found in 18:6–23. The reason why the offenses in 20:10–21 carry different penalties, however, is not clear. Perhaps the cases in vv. 17–21 were considered slightly less serious, being condemned but not criminally prosecuted.
- 20:17 Cut off: see note on 7:20.
Leviticus 20:10-21
New International Version
Leviticus 20:10-21
New International Version
10 “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife(A)—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.(B)
11 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father.(C) Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.(D)
12 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law,(E) both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.(F) They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
14 “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother,(G) it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire,(H) so that no wickedness will be among you.(I)
15 “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal,(J) he is to be put to death,(K) and you must kill the animal.
16 “‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
17 “‘If a man marries his sister(L), the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed(M) from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.(N)
18 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period,(O) he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.(P)
19 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father,(Q) for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.
20 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt,(R) he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.(S)
21 “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife,(T) it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.(U)
Deuteronomy 23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Deuteronomy 23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 23
1 A man shall not marry his father’s wife,[a] nor shall he dishonor his father’s bed.(A)
Membership in the Assembly. 2 [b]No one whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may come into the assembly of the Lord.(B) 3 No one born of an illicit union may come into the assembly of the Lord, nor any descendant of such even to the tenth generation may come into the assembly of the Lord.(C) 4 (D)No Ammonite or Moabite may ever come into the assembly of the Lord, nor may any of their descendants even to the tenth generation come into the assembly of the Lord, 5 because they would not come to meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam, son of Beor, from Pethor in Aram Naharaim, to curse you. 6 The Lord, your God, would not listen to Balaam but turned his curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord, your God, loves you. 7 Never seek their welfare or prosperity as long as you live.(E) 8 (F)Do not abhor the Edomite: he is your brother. Do not abhor the Egyptian: you were a resident alien in his country. 9 Children born to them may come into the assembly of the Lord in the third generation.
Cleanliness in Camp. 10 When in camp during an expedition against your enemies, you shall keep yourselves from anything bad. 11 (G)If one of you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come back into the camp. 12 Toward evening, he shall bathe in water; then, when the sun has set, he may come back into the camp. 13 Outside the camp you shall have a place set aside where you shall go. 14 You shall keep a trowel in your equipment and, when you go outside to relieve yourself, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover up your excrement. 15 Since the Lord, your God, journeys along in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to give your enemies over to you, your camp must be holy, so that he does not see anything indecent in your midst and turn away from you.(H)
Various Precepts. 16 (I)You shall not hand over to their master any slaves who have taken refuge with you from their master. 17 Let them live among you in any place they choose, in any one of your communities[c] that seems good to them. Do not oppress them.
18 There shall be no temple prostitute[d] among the Israelite women, nor a temple prostitute among the Israelite men.(J) 19 You shall not offer a prostitute’s fee or a dog’s pay[e] as any kind of votive offering in the house of the Lord, your God; both these things are an abomination to the Lord, your God.(K)
20 (L)You shall not demand interest from your kindred on a loan of money or of food or of anything else which is loaned. 21 From a foreigner you may demand interest, but you may not demand interest from your kindred, so that the Lord, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings on the land you are to enter and possess.
22 (M)When you make a vow to the Lord, your God, you shall not delay in fulfilling it; for the Lord, your God, will surely require it of you and you will be held guilty. 23 Should you refrain from making a vow, you will not be held guilty. 24 But whatever your tongue utters you must be careful to do, just as you freely vowed to the Lord, your God, with your own mouth.
25 When you go through your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you wish, until you are satisfied, but do not put them in your basket. 26 When you go through your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pluck some of the ears with your hand, but do not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.
Footnotes
- 23:1 Father’s wife: stepmother.
- 23:2 Exclusion of an emasculated male may have had to do with association of emasculation with the practices of other peoples, or it may have been rejection of someone with a significant blemish who was thus not suitable for participation in the sacral assembly.
- 23:17 In any one of your communities: from this it would seem that the slave in question is a fugitive from a foreign country.
- 23:18–19 Temple prostitute: Heb. qedesha, lit., “holy one,” a title of the goddess of fertility. The role or function of the qedesha is debated; some see this as simply a term for a prostitute (Heb. zona). Others see it as designating a cultic role but not necessarily one involving sexual activity. The evidence is insufficient to give a final answer.
- 23:19 Dog’s pay: “dog” is a derogatory term for a male temple prostitute.
Deuteronomy 23
New International Version
Deuteronomy 23
New International Version
Exclusion From the Assembly
23 [a]No one who has been emasculated(A) by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.
2 No one born of a forbidden marriage[b] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.
3 No Ammonite(B) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.(C) 4 For they did not come to meet you with bread and water(D) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam(E) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim[c](F) to pronounce a curse on you.(G) 5 However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse(H) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves(I) you. 6 Do not seek a treaty(J) of friendship with them as long as you live.(K)
7 Do not despise an Edomite,(L) for the Edomites are related to you.(M) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.(N) 8 The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.
Uncleanness in the Camp
9 When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure.(O) 10 If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there.(P) 11 But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset(Q) he may return to the camp.(R)
12 Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13 As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God moves(S) about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy,(T) so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.
Miscellaneous Laws
15 If a slave has taken refuge(U) with you, do not hand them over to their master.(V) 16 Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress(W) them.
17 No Israelite man(X) or woman is to become a shrine prostitute.(Y) 18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute[d] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.(Z)
19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.(AA) 20 You may charge a foreigner(AB) interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless(AC) you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it,(AD) for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.(AE) 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.(AF) 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.
24 If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.(AG)
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 23:1 In Hebrew texts 23:1-25 is numbered 23:2-26.
- Deuteronomy 23:2 Or one of illegitimate birth
- Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Deuteronomy 23:18 Hebrew of a dog
Jeremiah 5:8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Jeremiah 5:8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
8 They are lustful stallions,
each neighs after the other’s wife.(A)
Jeremiah 5:8
New International Version
Jeremiah 5:8
New International Version
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(A)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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