The Covenant at Horeb

1And Moses summoned all of Israel, and he said to them: “Listen, O Israel, to the ceremonies and judgments, which I am speaking to your ears on this day. Learn them, and fulfill them in deed. 2The Lord our God formed a covenant with us at Horeb. 3He did not make the covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are alive and in the present time. 4He spoke to us face to face on the mountain, from the midst of fire.

The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20:1–17)

5I was the mediator, for I was in the middle between the Lord and you, at that time, to announce his words to you. For you were afraid of the fire, and so you did not ascend to the mountain. And he said:

6‘I am the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.

7You shall not have strange gods in my sight.

8You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor the likeness of anything, which is in heaven above, or on earth below, or which abides in the waters under the earth. 9You shall not adore and you shall not worship these things. For I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, repaying the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me, 10and acting with mercy in thousands of ways to those who love me and keep my precepts.

11You shall not use the name of the Lord your God in vain. For he will not go unpunished who takes up his name over an unimportant matter.

12Observe the day of the Sabbath, so that you may sanctify it, just as the Lord your God has instructed you. 13For six days, you shall labor and do all your work. 14The seventh is the day of the Sabbath, that is, the rest of the Lord your God. You shall not do any work in it, nor shall your son, nor daughter, nor man servant, nor woman servant, nor ox, nor donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor the sojourner who is within your gates, so that your men and woman servants may rest, just as you do. 15Remember that you also were servants in Egypt, and the Lord your God led you away from that place with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Because of this, he has instructed you so that you would observe the Sabbath day.

16Honor your father and mother, just as the Lord your God has instructed you, so that you may live a long time, and so that it may be well with you in the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.

17You shall not murder.

18And you shall not commit adultery.

19And you shall not commit theft.

20Neither shall you speak false testimony against your neighbor.

21You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his man servant, nor his woman servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything out of all that is his.’

Moses Intercedes for the People
(Exodus 20:18–21; Hebrews 12:18–29)

22The Lord spoke these words to the entire multitude of you on the mountain, from the midst of the fire and the cloud and the darkness, with a loud voice, adding nothing more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone, which he delivered to me. 23Then, after you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and you saw the mountain burning, you approached me, all you leaders of the tribes and those greater by birth. And you said: 24‘Behold, the Lord our God has revealed to us his majesty and his greatness. We have heard his voice from the midst of fire, and we have proven today that, though God is speaking with man, man has lived. 25Therefore, why should we die, and why should this very great fire devour us? For if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we will die. 26What is all flesh, that it would hear the voice of the living God, who speaks from the midst of fire, just as we have heard it, and be able to live? 27Instead, you should approach and listen to all the things that the Lord our God will say to you. And you will speak to us, and we will listen and do these things.’

28But when the Lord had heard this, he said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they spoke to you. All this, they have spoken well. 29Who will grant to them to have such a mind, so that they may fear me, and may keep all my commandments at all times, so that it may be well with them and with their sons forever? 30Go and say to them: Return to your tents. 31But as for you, stand here with me, and I will speak to you all my commandments and ceremonies, as well as judgments. These, you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land, which I will give to them as a possession. 32And so, keep and do the things which the Lord God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left. 33For you shall walk in the way that the Lord your God has instructed, so that you may live, and it may be well with you, and your days may be extended in the land of your possession.’ ”