Leviticus 18:5
New International Version
Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

New Living Translation
If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD.

English Standard Version
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

King James Bible
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

New King James Version
You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; I am the LORD.

NASB 1995
‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD.

NASB 1977
‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does them, he shall live by them; I am Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which, if a person keeps them, he shall live; I am the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am Yahweh.”

American Standard Version
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and mine ordinances; which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
Obey them and you will live. I am the LORD.

English Revised Version
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Live by my standards, and obey my rules. You will have life through them. I am the LORD.

Good News Translation
Follow the practices and the laws that I give you; you will save your life by doing so. I am the LORD."

International Standard Version
Keep my statutes and my ordinances, which a person is to obey in order to live in them. I am the LORD.

Majority Standard Bible
Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

NET Bible
So you must keep my statutes and my regulations; anyone who does so will live by keeping them. I am the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments: which if a man doeth, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

World English Bible
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you have kept My statutes and My judgments which man does and lives in them; I [am] YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
and ye have kept My statutes and My judgments which man doth and liveth in them; I am Jehovah.

Smith's Literal Translation
And ye watched my laws and my judgments, which a man shall do them, and he lived in them: I am Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep my laws and my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them. I am the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Keep my laws and judgments; when a man does these, he shall live by them. I am the Lord.

New American Bible
Keep, then, my statutes and decrees, for the person who carries them out will find life through them. I am the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall therefore keep my commandments and my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them; I am the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Keep my commands and my judgments, for a son of man who does them lives in them; I AM LORD JEHOVAH.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So ye shall keep all my ordinances, and all my judgments, and do them; which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord your God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unlawful Sexual Relations
4You 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. 6None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.…

Cross References
Romans 10:5
For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Galatians 3:12
The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Ezekiel 20:11
And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.

Ezekiel 20:13
Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20:21
But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

Nehemiah 9:29
You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

Deuteronomy 30:16
For I am commanding you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and increase, and the LORD your God may bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, / and that you may love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Luke 10:28
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”

Matthew 19:17
“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 7:10
So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.

Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

James 2:10
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Galatians 5:3
Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

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.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

which if a man do

Ezekiel 20:11,13,21
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them…

Luke 10:28
And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Romans 10:5
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

I am the Lord

Exodus 6:2,6,29
And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: …

Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

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Leviticus 18
1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts














Keep My statutes and My judgments
This phrase emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's laws. The Hebrew word for "keep" is "shamar," which means to guard, observe, or give heed. It implies a vigilant and careful attention to God's commands. The statutes ("chuqqim") and judgments ("mishpatim") refer to the decrees and ordinances given by God. Historically, these laws were given to the Israelites as a covenantal guide for living a life that is pleasing to God. In a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the belief that God's laws are timeless and applicable, serving as a moral compass for believers today.

for the man who does these things
This phrase highlights the personal responsibility and individual accountability in following God's commands. The Hebrew word for "man" here is "adam," which can refer to mankind in general, indicating that these instructions are not limited to a specific group but are universal. The phrase suggests that there is an active participation required from each person, emphasizing that faith is demonstrated through action. In the broader scriptural context, this aligns with the New Testament teaching that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

will live by them
The promise of life is central to this phrase. The Hebrew word for "live" is "chayah," which means to live, have life, or remain alive. This is not merely a promise of physical life but encompasses a holistic sense of well-being, prosperity, and spiritual vitality. In the historical context of Israel, obedience to God's laws was directly linked to the nation's prosperity and survival in the Promised Land. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this is seen as a foreshadowing of the eternal life promised through faith in Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law on behalf of humanity.

I am the LORD
This declaration serves as the divine authority behind the command. The use of "LORD" in all caps represents the Hebrew name "YHWH," the covenant name of God, which signifies His eternal, self-existent nature. This phrase is a reminder of God's sovereignty and His right to command His creation. It also reassures believers of God's faithfulness and unchanging character. In the conservative Christian tradition, this underscores the belief in the authority of Scripture as God's revealed word, which is to be revered and obeyed.

(5) Ye shall therefore keep my statutes. Better, and ye shall keep my ordinances. The word here rendered by "statutes" is the same which the Authorised Version translates ordinances in Leviticus 18:3-4.

He shall live in them.--Better, he shall live by or through them; that is, by observing them the law abiding will live a happy and prosperous life, since disobedience will expose the offender to the penalty of death. The spiritual authorities in the time of the second Temple interpreted this clause to mean that he who obeys these laws shall have eternal life. Hence the ancient Chaldee Versions translate it, "Shall have life eternal." This passage is quoted both in the Prophets (Ezekiel 20:11; Ezekiel 20:13; Ezekiel 20:21; Nehemiah 9:29) and by St. Paul (Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:12), who contrasts this promise made to works with the promise of the Gospel made to faith. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Keep
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם (ū·šə·mar·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

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

and
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

My judgments,
מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י (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

[for]
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the man
הָאָדָ֖ם (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

who does these things
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה (ya·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

will live
וָחַ֣י (wā·ḥay)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2425: To live, to revive

by 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.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Leviticus 18:5 You shall therefore keep my statutes (Le Lv Lev.)
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