Deuteronomy 27:23

Good News Translation

"‘God's curse on anyone who has intercourse with his mother-in-law.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
‘The one who sleeps with his mother-in-law is cursed.’

Hebrew Names Version
Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law. All the people shall say, Amein.

King James Version
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Lexham English Bible
‘Cursed be the one who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'

English Standard Version
"‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'

New Century Version
"A man will be cursed who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

New English Translation
‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

Amplified Bible
'Cursed is he who is intimate with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

New American Standard Bible
'Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Cursed be he that lyeth with his mother in law: And all the people shal say: So be it.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'

Complete Jewish Bible
"‘A curse on anyone who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.' All the people are to say, ‘Amen!'

Darby Translation
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law! And all the people shall say, Amen.

Easy-to-Read Version
"The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law!' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

George Lamsa Translation
Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Literal Translation
Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law! And all the people shall say, Amen!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Cursed be he, yt lyeth with his mother in lawe. And all the people shal saye, Amen.

American Standard Version
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Bible in Basic English
Cursed is he who has sex relations with his mother-in-law. And let all the people say, So be it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in lawe: and al the people shall say, Amen.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say: Amen.

King James Version (1611)
Cursed be hee that lieth with his mother in law: and all the people shall say, Amen.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Cursed is he that lies with his daughter-in-law: and all the people shall say, So be it. Cursed is he that lies with his wife’s sister: and all the people shall say, So be it.

English Revised Version
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Berean Standard Bible
'Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Cursid is he that slepith with his wyues modir; and al the puple schal seye, Amen!

Young's Literal Translation
`Cursed [is] he who is lying with his mother-in-law, -- and all the people have said, Amen.

Update Bible Version
Cursed be he that lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Webster's Bible Translation
Cursed [be] he that lieth with his mother-in-law: and all the people shall say, Amen.

World English Bible
Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law. All the people shall say, Amen.

New King James Version
"Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.' "And all the people shall say, "Amen!'

New Living Translation
‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his mother-in-law.' And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.'

New Life Bible
‘Cursed is the man who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.'

New Revised Standard
"Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law." All the people shall say, "Amen!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Cursed, be he that lieth with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say - Amen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law: and all the people shall say: Amen.

Revised Standard Version
"'Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Contextual Overview

¹¹ Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ¹² "After you have crossed the Jordan, the following tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim when the blessings are pronounced on the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³ And the following tribes will stand on Mount Ebal when the curses are pronounced: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. ¹⁴ The Levites will speak these words in a loud voice: ¹⁵ "‘God's curse on anyone who makes an idol of stone, wood, or metal and secretly worships it; the Lord hates idolatry.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ¹⁶ "‘God's curse on anyone who dishonors his father or mother.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ¹⁷ "‘God's curse on anyone who moves a neighbor's property line.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ¹⁸ "‘God's curse on anyone who leads a blind person in the wrong direction.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ¹⁹ "‘God's curse on anyone who deprives foreigners, orphans, and widows of their rights.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ²⁰ "‘God's curse on anyone who disgraces his father by having intercourse with any of his father's wives.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 18:17, Leviticus 20:14

Reciprocal: Leviticus 20:11 - General Leviticus 20:12 - lie Ezekiel 22:10 - discovered

Cross-References

Genesis 27:11
But Jacob said to his mother, "You know that Esau is a hairy man, but I have smooth skin.

Genesis 27:12
Perhaps my father will touch me and find out that I am deceiving him; in this way, I will bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing."

Genesis 27:16
She put the skins of the goats on his arms and on the hairless part of his neck.

Hebrews 11:20
It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Cursed [be] he that lieth with his mother in law,.... See

Leviticus 18:7. All these incestuous or brutal copulations may well be supposed to be done in secret:

and all the people shall say Amen; as abhorring such incest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Joshua 8:32-35. The solemnity was apparently designed only for the single occasion on which it actually took place.

Deuteronomy 27:12, Deuteronomy 27:13

The tribes appointed to stand on Gerizim to bless the people all sprang from the two wives of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. All the four tribes which sprang from the handmaids Zilpah and Bilhah are located on Ebal. But in order, as it would seem, to effect an equal division, two tribes are added to the latter from the descendants of the wives, that of Reuben, probably because he forfeited his primogeniture Genesis 49:4; and of Zebulun, apparently because he was the youngest son of Leah.

The transaction presents itself as a solemn renewal of the covenant made by God with Abraham and Isaac, but more especially with Jacob and his family. Accordingly the genealogical basis of the “twelve patriarchs” (compare Acts 7:12; Revelation 7:4 ff), the sons of Jacob, is here assumed. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are merged in the name of Joseph, their father; and Levi regains on this occasion his place collaterally with the others. “The Levites” of Deuteronomy 27:14 are no doubt “the priests the Levites” (compareJoshua 8:33; Joshua 8:33), in whom the ministerial character attaching to the tribe was more particularly manifested. It is noteworthy that the group of tribes which stood on Gerizim far exceeded the other in numbers and in importance, thus perhaps indicating that even by the Law the blessing should at length prevail.

Deuteronomy 27:15

The “Amen” attested the conviction of the utterers that the sentences to which they responded were true, just, and certain; so in Numbers 5:22, and in our own Commination Office, which is modelled after this ordinance of Moses.

Deuteronomy 27:15-26

Twelve curses against transgressions of the covenant. The first eleven are directed against special sins which are selected by way of example, the last comprehensively sums up in general terms and condemns all and every offence against God’s Law. Compare the marginal references.