Leviticus 18:3

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses,

² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

You 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.

⁵ Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: You 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.
KJV: After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
WEB: 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.
ASV: After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their statutes.
DARBY: After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their customs.
BLB: You⁺ shall not do according to the work of the land of Egypt in which you⁺ dwelt, and according to the work of the land of Canaan where I am bringing you⁺, you⁺ shall not do, and in their statutes you⁺ shall not walk.

ÅB: Dere skal ikke gjøre som de gjør i Egypt, som dere bodde i, og dere skal ikke gjøre som de gjør i Kana'ans land, som jeg vil føre dere til, og dere skal ikke vandre etter deres skikker.
OTB: Dere må ikke handle som de gjør i landet Egypt, hvor dere en gang bodde, og dere skal heller ikke oppføre dere som de gjør i landet Kanaan, hvor jeg fører dere. Følg ikke deres skikker.
B1930: I skal ikke gjøre som de gjør i Egyptens land, som I bodde i, og I skal ikke gjøre som de gjør i Kana'ans land, som jeg vil føre eder til, og I skal ikke vandre efter deres skikker.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Leviticus 20:23
You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Read in context
Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
Read in context
Ezekiel 20:7–8
And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’
Read in context
Ezekiel 23:8
She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her.
Read in context
1 Peter 4:2–4
Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:30–31
be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”
Read in context
Psalms 106:35
but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.
Read in context
Jeremiah 10:2–3
This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them.
Read in context