The Message Bible MSG
New Living Translation NLT
1 God spoke to Moses,
1
Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: I am God, your God.
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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the LORD your God.
3 Don't live like the people of Egypt where you used to live, and don't live like the people of Canaan where I'm bringing you. Don't do what they do.
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So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.
4 Obey my laws and live by my decrees. I am your God.
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You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the LORD your God.
5 Keep my decrees and laws: The person who obeys them lives by them. I am God.
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If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD .
6 "Don't have sex with a close relative. I am God.
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“You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the LORD .
7 "Don't violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don't have sex with her.
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“Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
8 "Don't have sex with your father's wife. That violates your father.
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“Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.
9 "Don't have sex with your sister, whether she's your father's daughter or your mother's, whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.
10 "Don't have sex with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter. That would violate your own body.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate yourself.
11 "Don't have sex with the daughter of your father's wife born to your father. She is your sister.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.
12 "Don't have sex with your father's sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your father.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.
13 "Don't have sex with your mother's sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your mother.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.
14 "Don't violate your father's brother, your uncle, by having sex with his wife. She is your aunt.
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“Do not violate your uncle, your father’s brother, by having sexual relations with his wife, for she is your aunt.
15 "Don't have sex with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; don't have sex with her.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, so you must not have sexual relations with her.
16 "Don't have sex with your brother's wife; that would violate your brother.
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“Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife, for this would violate your brother.
17 "Don't have sex with both a woman and her daughter. And don't have sex with her granddaughters either. They are her close relatives. That is wicked.
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“Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take her granddaughter, whether her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.
18 "Don't marry your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sex with her while your wife is living.
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“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.
19 "Don't have sex with a woman during the time of her menstrual period when she is unclean.
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“Do not have sexual relations with a woman during her period of menstrual impurity.
20 "Don't have sex with your neighbor's wife and violate yourself by her.
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“Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.
21 "Don't give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech - an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am God.
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“Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the LORD .
22 "Don't have sex with a man as one does with a woman. That is abhorrent.
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“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
23 "Don't have sex with an animal and violate yourself by it. A woman must not have sex with an animal. That is perverse.
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“A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act.
24 "Don't pollute yourself in any of these ways. This is how the nations became polluted, the ones that I am going to drive out of the land before you.
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“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.
25 Even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for its iniquities - the land vomited up its inhabitants.
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Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out.
26 You must keep my decrees and laws - natives and foreigners both. You must not do any of these abhorrent things.
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You must obey all my decrees and regulations. You must not commit any of these detestable sins. This applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.
27 The people who lived in this land before you arrived did all these things and polluted the land.
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“All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled.
28 And if you pollute it, the land will vomit you up just as it vomited up the nations that preceded you.
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So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now.
29 "Those who do any of these abhorrent things will be cut off from their people.
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Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel.
30 Keep to what I tell you; don't engage in any of the abhorrent acts that were practiced before you came. Don't pollute yourselves with them. I am God, your God."
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So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the LORD your God.”
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.