Study Desk

"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God.

You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.

"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 .

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."

"Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

"Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.

"Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

"When you sacrifice a peace offering to the Lord , offer it properly so you will be accepted by God.

It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.

"Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord .

"Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord .

Finally, in the fifth year you may eat the fruit. If you follow this pattern, your harvest will increase. I am the Lord your God.

"Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.

"Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord .

Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from all other people.

They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the Lord , gifts of food for their God.

"Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God.