Punishments for Disobedience (Leviticus 26:14–39; Deuteronomy 28:15–68)
1 UST Then Yahweh said to Moses, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 UST “Be sure to tell the people of Israel that any Israelite or any foreigner who is living in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to the false god Molech should certainly die. The people living in Israel should kill such a person by throwing stones at him. BSB BSB: “Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
3 UST I will personally punish such a person. I will make the person who does this an outcast and remove him from my people. I will do this because he has given his child to the false god Molech and so defiled my holy space and tainted my reputation. BSB BSB: And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.
4 UST But it may happen that the people who live in Israel ignore that person when he sacrifices one of his children to the false idol Molech, and they do not execute that person. BSB BSB: And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech,
5 UST If that happens, I will personally punish that person and his family unit. I will remove that person from my people— him and anyone else who acts unfaithfully in the same manner by worshiping the false idol Molech. BSB BSB: then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.
6 UST I will punish those who abandon me by inquiring of someone who speaks to the dead or someone who inquires of dead family members. In doing these things, the people of Israel act unfaithfully. I will make the person who does this an outcast and remove him from my people. BSB BSB: Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
7 UST The people of Israel must be careful to keep themselves set apart for me and to be holy people. They should do this because I am Yahweh their God. BSB BSB: Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.
8 UST The Israelites should habitually obey my laws and live by them. Remember: I am Yahweh, the one who sets you apart from the other people. BSB BSB: And you shall keep My statutes and practice them. I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
9 UST The people of Israel must execute anyone who curses his father or his mother. He has caused his own death by cursing his father and mother. BSB BSB: If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.
Punishments for Sexual Immorality (Proverbs 5:1–23; 1 Corinthians 5:1–8)
10 UST It may happen that a man commits adultery with another man’ s wife. If this happens, the people of Israel must execute both the man and the woman. BSB BSB: If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.
11 UST A man who has sexual relations with one of his father’ s wives has shamed his father. The people of Israel must execute both that man and woman. They will be responsible for their own deaths. BSB BSB: If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
12 UST The people of Israel must execute a man who has sexual relations with his daughter- in- law. They must execute both that man and the woman. They have done something that is utterly perverse. They will be responsible for their own deaths. BSB BSB: If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.
13 UST If a man has sexual relations with another man, as he would with a woman, they both have done something that is utterly abominable. The people of Israel must execute both men. They will be responsible for their own deaths. BSB BSB: If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
14 UST A man who marries both a woman and her mother has done something utterly depraved. The people of Israel must burn all three of them to death so that no one among the people of Israel will continue to commit such a depraved action. BSB BSB: If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that there will be no depravity among you.
15 UST The people of Israel must execute a man who has sexual relations with an animal. They must also kill the animal. BSB BSB: If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal.
16 UST Likewise, the people of Israel must kill a woman who gives herself to an animal to copulate with it. They must execute both her and that animal. They will be responsible for their own deaths. BSB BSB: If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
17 UST If a man sleeps with his sister, whether she is his father’ s or his mother’ s daughter, and they see one another naked, they have done something disgraceful. Because the man has shamed his sister, I will remove them from among my people so that the people of Israel no longer see them. The people of Israel should hold him responsible for his wrongdoing. BSB BSB: If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.
18 UST If a man sleeps with a woman during her menstrual period, they have both revealed her flowing blood and brought shame on the woman. I will make both of them outcasts and remove them from my people. BSB BSB: If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them must be cut off from among their people.
19 UST No man should have sexual relations with his aunt and shame her, whether she is his mother’ s or his father’ s sister. In so doing, he would disgrace a close relative. The people of Israel should hold both of them responsible for their wrongdoing. BSB BSB: You must not have sexual relations with the sister of your mother or your father, for it is exposing one’s own kin; both shall bear their iniquity.
20 UST A man who has sexual relations with his uncle’ s wife has shamed his uncle. I will punish both of them by causing them to die without having any children. BSB BSB: If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless.
21 UST If a man has sex with his brother’ s wife{ while his brother is still living}, that is disgraceful. He has dishonored his brother; and they both will die without having any children. BSB BSB: If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.
Distinguish between Clean and Unclean 22 UST The people of Israel should habitually obey all my laws and customs and do everything that I tell them. If they do this, I will not reject and remove them from the land to which I am bringing them to live. BSB BSB: You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.
23 UST Likewise, the people of Israel must not practice the laws and customs of the people who currently live in the land. I am removing them from the places in which they live because they have done all of these practices. For this reason, I abhor them. BSB BSB: You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
24 UST But I told the people of Israel,‘You will take their land from them as if you were inheriting it from your father. I will give it to you personally to be your family’ s possession. The soil in that land is very fertile and produces good crops abundantly. Remember: I am Yahweh your God, who has set you apart from the other people who live around you.’ BSB BSB: But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples.
26 UST In this way, the people of Israel must belong to me, Yahweh, as a people who are set apart and noticeably different from the people who live around them. This is because I am Yahweh, and I am also set apart from every created thing. In the same way, I have set the people of Israel apart from the people of other nations. They belong to me uniquely. BSB BSB: You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.
27 UST But the people of Israel must execute anyone among them who speaks to the dead or inquires of dead family members. The people of Israel must kill them by throwing stones at them. Such people are responsible for their own deaths.” BSB BSB: A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.