Leviticus 18:4
New International Version
You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.

New Living Translation
You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the LORD your God.

English Standard Version
You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God.

Berean Standard Bible
You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.

King James Bible
Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

New King James Version
You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God.

New American Standard Bible
You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God.

NASB 1995
‘You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God.

NASB 1977
‘You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God.

Legacy Standard Bible
You are to do My judgments and keep My statutes, to walk in them; I am Yahweh your God.

Amplified Bible
You are to follow My judgments (precepts, ordinances) and keep My statutes and live by them. I am the LORD your God.

Christian Standard Bible
You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statutes by following them; I am the LORD your God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are to practice My ordinances and you are to keep My statutes by following them; I am Yahweh your God.

American Standard Version
Mine ordinances shall ye do, and my statutes shall ye keep, to walk therein: I am Jehovah your God.

Contemporary English Version
I am the LORD your God, and you must obey my teachings.

English Revised Version
My judgments shall ye do, and my statutes shall ye keep, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Follow my rules, and live by my standards. I am the LORD your God.

Good News Translation
Obey my laws and do what I command. I am the LORD your God.

International Standard Version
Obey my ordinances and keep my statutes by living by them. I am the LORD your God.

Majority Standard Bible
You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.

NET Bible
You must observe my regulations and you must be sure to walk in my statutes. I am the LORD your God.

New Heart English Bible
You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am the LORD your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall perform my judgments, and keep my ordinances, to walk in them; I am the LORD your God.

World English Bible
You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am Yahweh your God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do My judgments and you keep My statutes, to walk in them; I [am] your God YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
My judgments ye do, and My statutes ye keep, to walk in them; I am Jehovah your God;

Smith's Literal Translation
My judgments shall ye do, and my laws shall ye watch to go in them; am Jehovah your God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
You shall do my judgments, and shall observe my precepts, and shall walk in them. I am the Lord your God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall accomplish my judgments, and you shall observe my precepts, and you shall walk in them. I am the Lord your God.

New American Bible
My decrees you shall carry out, and my statutes you shall take care to follow. I, the LORD, am your God.

New Revised Standard Version
My ordinances you shall observe and my statutes you shall keep, following them: I am the LORD your God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But you shall do my judgments and keep my commandments and walk in them; I am the LORD your God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But do my judgments and keep my commands and walk in them. I AM LORD JEHOVAH your God.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Mine ordinances shall ye do, and My statutes shall ye keep, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye shall observe my judgments, and shall keep my ordinances, and shall walk in them: I am the Lord your God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unlawful Sexual Relations
3You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs. 4 You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God. 5Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 5:32-33
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left. / You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Ezekiel 20:19
I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

Psalm 119:1-3
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD. / Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart. / They do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.

Deuteronomy 6:1-2
These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, / so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Deuteronomy 4:1
Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

James 1:22-25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...

Deuteronomy 8:6
Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and fearing Him.

1 John 2:3-6
By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. / If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. / But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: ...

Deuteronomy 10:12-13
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, / and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am giving you this day for your own good?

Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Joshua 22:5
But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

1 Peter 1:14-16
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. / But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Kings 2:3
And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn,


Treasury of Scripture

You shall do my judgments, and keep my ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 18:26
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

Leviticus 19:37
Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 20:22
Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

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Leviticus 18
1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts














You are to practice
The Hebrew root for "practice" is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which means to do, make, or execute. This word implies an active, intentional engagement with God's commands. It is not merely about passive acknowledgment but involves a deliberate effort to incorporate God's judgments into daily life. In the ancient context, this would have been understood as a call to live out one's faith through actions, reflecting a commitment to God's will.

My judgments
The term "judgments" comes from the Hebrew "מִשְׁפָּט" (mishpat), which refers to decisions or ordinances. These are divine decrees that provide guidance for moral and ethical living. Historically, these judgments were seen as God's way of establishing justice and righteousness among His people. They are not arbitrary rules but are rooted in God's character and His desire for His people to reflect His holiness.

and keep
The word "keep" is translated from the Hebrew "שָׁמַר" (shamar), meaning to guard, observe, or give heed. This suggests a vigilant and careful attention to God's statutes. It implies a protective stance, ensuring that God's laws are not only remembered but also preserved and honored in one's life. This reflects a deep respect and reverence for God's word.

My statutes
"Statutes" is derived from the Hebrew "חֻקָּה" (chuqqah), which refers to decrees or laws that are prescribed. These are specific commands given by God that define the boundaries of holy living. In the historical context of Israel, these statutes were integral to maintaining a covenant relationship with God, setting His people apart from surrounding nations.

by walking in them
The phrase "walking in them" uses the Hebrew "הָלַךְ" (halak), which means to go, walk, or live. This metaphor of walking suggests a continuous, habitual lifestyle. It indicates that adherence to God's judgments and statutes is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey. This imagery of walking is prevalent in Scripture, symbolizing a dynamic and ongoing relationship with God.

I am the LORD
The declaration "I am the LORD" uses the divine name "יְהוָה" (YHWH), emphasizing God's eternal, self-existent nature. This statement serves as a reminder of God's authority and sovereignty. It underscores that the commands given are not merely human constructs but are issued by the Creator Himself, who is intimately involved with His people.

your God
The phrase "your God" personalizes the relationship between God and His people. It highlights the covenantal bond, where God is not a distant deity but a personal God who has chosen Israel as His own. This relationship is foundational to understanding the purpose and significance of the laws given, as they are meant to foster a community that reflects God's holiness and love.

(4) Ye shall do my judgments.--The expression "my judgments and mine ordinances" is here used emphatically, in opposition to "their ordinances," and has here the force of Mine only; just as the phrase "Him shalt thou serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13) is explained by Christ "Him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You are to practice
תַּעֲשׂ֛וּ (ta·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

My judgments
מִשְׁפָּטַ֧י (miš·pā·ṭay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

and keep
תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ (tiš·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

My statutes
חֻקֹּתַ֥י (ḥuq·qō·ṯay)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

by walking
לָלֶ֣כֶת (lā·le·ḵeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in them.
בָּהֶ֑ם (bā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

I
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Law: Leviticus 18:4 You shall do my ordinances and you (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 18:3
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