Galatians 3:1–14 (NIV84)

¹ You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ²I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? ⁴Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? ⁵ Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? ⁶ Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁷ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. ⁸The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. ¹⁰All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” ¹² The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” ¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” ¹⁴ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Deuteronomy 21:22–23 (NIV84)

²² If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, ²³ you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Leviticus 18:1–30 (NIV84)

¹ The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. ³ You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. ⁴ You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. ⁵ Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. ⁶ “ ‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. ⁷ “ ‘Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. ⁸ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father. ⁹ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. ¹⁰ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you. ¹¹ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister. ¹² “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative. ¹³ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s close relative. ¹⁴ “ ‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt. ¹⁵ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her. ¹⁶ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother. ¹⁷ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness. ¹⁸ “ ‘Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living. ¹⁹ “ ‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period. ²⁰ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her. ²¹ “ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. ²² “ ‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. ²³ “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. ²⁴ “ ‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. ²⁵ Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. ²⁶ But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, ²⁷ for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. ²⁸ And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. ²⁹ “ ‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. ³⁰ Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.’ ”