Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments
1 Then God spoke all these words:
2
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall
have no other gods beforea me.
4 You
shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is
in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them
or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,
punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth
generation of those who reject me, 6but showing
steadfast love to the thousandth generationb of those who
love me and keep my commandments.
7 You shall not make
wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD
will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8 Remember
the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9Six days you
shall labor and do all your work. 10But the
seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not
do any work--you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your
livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For
in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD
blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
12 Honor
your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that
the LORD your God is giving you.
13 You
shall not murder.c
14 You shall not
commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17
You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your
neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that
belongs to your neighbor.
18 When all the people
witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the
mountain smoking, they were afraidd and trembled and stood
at a distance, 19and said to Moses, "You speak
to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die." 20Moses
said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and
to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin." 21Then
the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness
where God was.
The Law concerning the Altar
22 The LORD said to Moses: Thus you shall say to the Israelites: "You have seen for yourselves that I spoke with you from heaven. 23You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24You need make for me only an altar of earth and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25But if you make for me an altar of stone, do not build it of hewn stones; for if you use a chisel upon it you profane it. 26You shall not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it."