The LORD's redeemed people must reject the practices of the land they left and the land they are entering, walking instead in His statutes.
Leviticus 18:1-5
1 Yahweh said to Moses,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God.
3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes.
4 You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am Yahweh your God.
5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.
The LORD forbids sexual relations within close kinship structures, protecting household order, covenant integrity, and the dignity of family members.
Leviticus 18:6-18
6 “ ‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.
7 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
8 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.
9 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.
10 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness; for theirs is your own nakedness.
11 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.
12 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.
13 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.
14 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.
15 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
16 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.
17 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near kinswomen. It is wickedness.
18 “ ‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.
The LORD forbids sexual relations during menstrual impurity, adultery, child sacrifice, male same-sex intercourse, and bestiality.
Leviticus 18:19-23
19 “ ‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.
20 “ ‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.
21 “ ‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.
22 “ ‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.
23 “ ‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
The nations defiled themselves by these practices, and the land vomited them out. Israel is warned not to repeat their defilement.
Leviticus 18:24-30
24 “ ‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.
25 The land was defiled. Therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you
27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled),
28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
The prohibitions apply within Israel's covenant sphere, and violation brings cutting off from the people.
29 “ ‘For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’ ”