Leviticus 20:8-18

8 Keep ye my behests, and do ye those, for I am the Lord that halloweth you. (Obey ye my commands, and do ye them, for I am the Lord who maketh you holy.)

9 Therefore he that curseth his father, either mother, die he by death; if a man curseth his father and mother, his blood be on him. (He who curseth his father, or his mother, shall be put to death; if a man curseth his father, or his mother, his blood be on him.)

10 If a man doeth lechery with another man's wife, and doeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress die they by death. (If a man doeth lechery with another man's wife, yea, if he doeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.)

11 If a man sleepeth with his step-dame, and showeth his father's shame, both they die by death; their blood be on them. (If a man sleepeth with his step-mother, and uncovereth her nakedness, which is for his father alone, they both shall be put to death; their blood be on them.)

12 If any man sleepeth with his son's wife, ever either die, for they have wrought great sin (they both shall be put to death, for they have done a great sin); their blood be on them.

13 If a man sleepeth with a man, by lechery of a woman, ever either hath wrought unleaveful thing, die they by death; their blood be on them. (If a man sleepeth with a man, like in fleshly coupling with a woman, they both have done an unlawful thing, and they both shall be put to death; their blood be on them.)

14 He that weddeth over his wife her mother, hath wrought great sin; he shall be burnt quick with them, and so great unleaveful doing shall not dwell in the midst of you. (He who taketh both his wife and her mother to bed, hath done a great sin; he shall be burned alive with them, and so a great unlawful doing shall not remain in the midst of you.)

15 He that doeth lechery with a great beast, or with a little (beast), die he by death (shall be put to death), also slay ye the beast.

16 A woman that lieth under any beast, be she slain together with it; their blood be on them.

17 He that taketh his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and seeth her filth(hood), and she seeth the shame of her brother, they have wrought an unleaveful thing, both shall be slain in the sight of their people; for they showed together their filth(hood), and they shall bear together their wickedness. (He who taketh to bed his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and seeth her nakedness, and she seeth her brother's nakedness, they both have done an unlawful thing, and they both shall be cut off in the presence of their people; for they uncovered their nakedness to each other, and so they shall bear their wickedness together.)

18 If a man doeth fleshly knowing with a woman in the flowing of blood of the month, and showeth her filth(hood), and she openeth the well of her blood, both they shall be slain from the midst of their people. (If a man doeth fleshly knowing with a woman during the flowing out of the blood of the month, and uncovereth her nakedness, and she openeth the well of her blood to him, they both shall be cut off from the midst of their people.)

Leviticus 20:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 20

In this chapter several laws are, repeated, enforced with a penalty annexed to them, and the breach them made capital, to deter from it, as giving seed to Molech, Le 20:1-5; going after such that have familiar spirits, or are wizards, Le 20:6; by shunning which, and other sins, a regard would be shown to holiness, Le 20:7,8; such as cursing parents, Le 20:9; committing adultery, Le 20:10; incestuous copulations, and marriages, and beastly actions, Le 20:11-21; all which it became the Israelites to avoid, lest, when come into the land of Canaan, they should be cast out of it, as the old inhabitants were for the same things, Le 20:22-24; and therefore, that they might appear to be a distinct people from others, they were to put a difference between clean and unclean creatures, Le 20:25,26; and the chapter is closed with a law, making it death for any person to have a familiar spirit, or to be a wizard, Le 19:27.