< Exodus 20 >

1 God spoke all the following words:
And the Lord spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who led you out of Egypt, out of the land of your slavery.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 You must not have any other gods except me.
You shall have no other gods beside me.
4 You must not make for yourself any kind of idol, whether in the form of anything in the heavens above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters below.
You shall not make to yourself an idol, nor likeness of anything, whatever things are in the heaven above, and whatever are in the earth beneath, and whatever are in the waters under the earth.
5 You must not bow down before them or worship them; for I am the Lord your God and I am passionately exclusive. I lay the consequences of the sin of those who hate me on their sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons;
You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them; for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, recompensing the sins of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation to them that hate me,
6 but I show trustworthy love to the thousands of generations who love me and keep my commandments.
and bestowing mercy on them that love me to thousands [of them], and on them that keep my commandments.
7 You must not use the name of the Lord your God in a wrong way, for the Lord will not forgive anyone who uses his name in a wrong way.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord your God will not acquit him that takes his name in vain.
8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
9 You have six days to work and earn your living,
Six days you shall labour, and shall perform all your work.
10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath to honor the Lord your God. On this day you must not do any work—not you, not your son or daughter, not your male slave or female slave or livestock, and not the foreigner who is staying with you.
But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord your God; on it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your servant nor your maidservant, your ox nor your ass, nor any cattle of your, nor the stranger that sojourns with you.
11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. That's why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and the sea and all things in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.
12 Honor your father and mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Honour your father and your mother, that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the good land, which the Lord your God gives to you.
13 You must not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
14 You must not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
15 You must not steal.
You shall not kill.
16 You must not give false evidence against others.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
17 You must not desire to have anyone else's house. You must not desire to have their wife, or their male slave or female slave, or their ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to them.”
You shall not covet your neighbour's wife; you shall not covet your neighbour's house; nor his field, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any of his cattle, nor whatever belongs to your neighbour.
18 When all the people heard the thunder and the sound of the trumpet, and saw the lightning and the smoke from the mountain, they trembled with fear and stood a long way off.
And all the people perceived the thundering, and the flashes, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and all the people feared and stood afar off,
19 “You speak to us, and we'll listen,” they said to Moses. “But don't let God speak to us, or we'll die.”
and said to Moses, Speak you to us, and let not God speak to us, lest we die.
20 Moses told them, “Do not be afraid, for God has only come to test you. He wants you to be in awe of him so that you don't sin.”
And Moses says to them, Be of good courage, for God is come to you to try you, that his fear may be amongst you, that you sin not.
21 The people stood a long way off as Moses went over to the thick, dark cloud where God was.
And the people stood afar off, and Moses went into the darkness where God was.
22 The Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘You saw for yourselves that I spoke with you from heaven.
And the Lord said to Moses, Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob, and you shall report it to the children of Israel, You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
23 You must not make any idols of silver or gold to worship in addition to me.
You shall not make to yourselves gods of silver, and gods of gold you shall not make to yourselves.
24 Make me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep, goats, and cattle. Wherever I decide to be worshiped, I will come to you and bless you.
You shall make to me an altar of earth; and upon it you shall sacrifice your whole burnt offerings, and your peace-offerings, and your sheep and your calves in every place, where I shall record my name; and I will come to you and bless you.
25 Now if you make an altar out of stones for me, you must not build it with cut stones, because if you use a chisel to cut the stone, you make it unholy.
And if you will make to me an altar of stones, you shall not build them hewn [stones]; for you have lifted up your tool upon them, and they are defiled.
26 Also, you must not go up to my altar using steps, so your private parts are not seen.’”
You shall not go up to my altar by steps, that you may not uncover your nakedness upon it.

< Exodus 20 >