Sinai & The Law

"'You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.

"'You are not to have sexual relations with any kind of animal and thus become unclean with it; nor is any woman to present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is perversion.

"'Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, because all the nations which I am expelling ahead of you are defiled with them.

The land has become unclean, and this is why I am punishing it - the land itself will vomit out its inhabitants.

But you are to keep my laws and rulings and not engage in any of these disgusting practices, neither the citizen nor the foreigner living with you;

for the people of the land have committed all these abominations, and the land is now defiled.

If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out too, just as it is vomiting out the nation that was there before you.

For those who engage in any of these disgusting practices, whoever they may be, will be cut off from their people.

So keep my charge not to follow any of these abominable customs that others before you have followed and thus defile yourselves by doing them. I am ADONAI your God.'"

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Speak to the entire community of Isra'el; tell them, 'You people are to be holy because I, ADONAI your God, am holy.

"'Every one of you is to revere his father and mother, and you are to keep my Shabbats; I am ADONAI your God.

"'Do not turn to idols, and do not cast metal gods for yourselves; I am ADONAI your God.

"'When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to ADONAI, offer it in a way that will make you accepted.

It is to be eaten the same day you offer it and the following day; but if any of it remains until the third day, it is to be burned up completely.

If any of it is eaten on the third day, it will have become a disgusting thing and will not be accepted;

moreover, everyone who eats it will bear the consequences of profaning something holy meant for ADONAI -that person will be cut off from his people.

"'When you harvest the ripe crops produced in your land, don't harvest all the way to corners of your field, and don't gather the ears of grain left by the harvesters.

Likewise, don't gather the grapes left on the vine or fallen on the ground after harvest; leave them for the poor and the foreigner; I am ADONAI your God.

"'Do not steal from, defraud or lie to each other.

Do not swear by my name falsely, which would be profaning the name of your God; I am ADONAI.

Do not oppress or rob your neighbor; specifically, you are not to keep back the wages of a hired worker all night until morning.

"'Do not speak a curse against a deaf person or place an obstacle in the way of a blind person; rather, fear your God; I am ADONAI.

"'Do not be unjust in judging - show neither partiality to the poor nor deference to the mighty, but with justice judge your neighbor.

"'Do not go around spreading slander among your people, but also don't stand idly by when your neighbor's life is at stake; I am ADONAI.