The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5:1-21)

1Then God spoke all these words:

אa

2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3You are to have no other gods besides me.

ב

4“You are not to make for yourselves an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on earth below, or in the water under the earth. 5You are not to bow down to them in worship or serve them, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the childrenb for the iniquity of the parentsc to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 6but showing gracious love to the thousandthd generatione of those who love me and keep my commandments.

ג

7“You are not to misusef the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave the one who misusesg his name unpunished.

ד

8“Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy.h 9You are to labor and do all your work during six days, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You are not to do any work—neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your livestock, nor the alien who is within your gates— 11because the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, in six days, then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.i

ה

12“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live longj in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

ו

13“You are not to commit murder.

ז

14“You are not to commit adultery.

ח

15“You are not to steal.

ט

16“You are not to testify falsely against your neighbor.

י

17“You are not to covet your neighbor’s house.k You are not to covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

The People are Terrified in God’s Presence

18All the people experienced the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the smoking mountain. And as the people experienced it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19They told Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but don’t let God speak with us, or we may die.

20Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you may fear him in order that you don’t sin.” 21Then the people stood at a distance, and Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

Instruction about Idols and Altars

22The LORD told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelis, ‘You have seen for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. 23You are not to make gods of silver alongside me, nor are you to make for yourselves gods of gold. 24You are to make an altar of earth for me, and you are to sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep, and your cattle. Everywhere I cause my name to be remembered, I’ll come to you and bless you. 25If you make an altar of stone for me, you must not build it of cut stones, because if you strike it with your chisel, you will profane it. 26You are not to ascend to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’”