The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20.1-17)1 Moses called together all the people of Israel and said to them, “People of Israel, listen to all the laws that I am giving you today. Learn them and be sure that you obey them. 2 At Mount Sinai the Lord our God made a covenant, 3 not only with our fathers, but with all of us who are living today. 4 There on the mountain the Lord spoke to you face-to-face from the fire. 5 I stood between you and the Lord at that time to tell you what he said, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.
“The Lord said, 6 ‘I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves.
7 “‘Worship no god but me.
8 “‘Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. 9 Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, for I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. 10 But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws.
11 “‘Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the Lord your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, as I, the Lord your God, have commanded you. 13 You have six days in which to do your work, 14 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work—neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath.
16 “‘Respect your father and your mother, as I, the Lord your God, command you, so that all may go well with you and so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.
17 “‘Do not commit murder.
18 “‘Do not commit adultery.
19 “‘Do not steal.
20 “‘Do not accuse anyone falsely.
21 “‘Do not desire another man's wife; do not desire his house, his land, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.’
22 “These are the commandments the Lord gave to all of you when you were gathered at the mountain. When he spoke with a mighty voice from the fire and from the thick clouds, he gave these commandments and no others. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
The People's Fear
(Exodus 20.18-21)23 “When the whole mountain was on fire and you heard the voice from the darkness, your leaders and the chiefs of your tribes came to me 24 and said, ‘The Lord our God showed us his greatness and his glory when we heard him speak from the fire! Today we have seen that it is possible for people to continue to live, even though God has spoken to them. 25 But why should we risk death again? That terrible fire will destroy us. We are sure to die if we hear the Lord our God speak again. 26 Has any human being ever lived after hearing the living God speak from a fire? 27 Go back, Moses, and listen to everything that the Lord our God says. Then return and tell us what he said to you. We will listen and obey.’
28 “When the Lord heard this, he said to me, ‘I have heard what these people said, and they are right. 29 If only they would always feel this way! If only they would always honor me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants forever. 30 Go and tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you, Moses, stay here with me, and I will give you all my laws and commands. Teach them to the people, so that they will obey them in the land that I am giving them.’
32 “People of Israel, be sure that you do everything that the Lord your God has commanded you. Do not disobey any of his laws. 33 Obey them all, so that everything will go well with you and so that you will continue to live in the land that you are going to occupy.
1 Then Moses called all Israiel, and saide vnto them, Heare, O Israel, the ordinances and the lawes which I propose to you this day, that yee may learne them, and take heede to obserue them. 2 The Lord our God made a couenant with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lord made not this couenant with our fathers onely, but with vs, euen with vs all here aliue this day. 4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the Mount, out of the middes of the fire. 5 (At that time I stoode betweene the Lord and you, to declare vnto you ye word of the Lord: for ye were afraid at the sight of the fire, and went not vp into the mount, and he said, 6 I am the Lord thy God, which haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods before my face. 8 Thou shalt make thee no grauen image or any likenesse of that that is in heauen aboue, or which is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters vnder the earth. 9 Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them, nor serue them: for I the Lord thy God am a ielous God, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children, euen vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: 10 And shewing mercie vnto thousandes of them that loue me, and keepe my commandements. 11 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine: for the Lord will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine. 12 Keepe the Sabbath day, to sanctifie it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. 13 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour, and shalt doe all thy worke: 14 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt not doe any worke therein, thou, nor thy sonne, nor thy daughter, nor thy man seruant, nor thy mayd, nor thine oxe, nor thine asse, neither any of thy cattel, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: that thy man seruant and thy mayde may rest aswell as thou. 15 For, remember that thou wast a seruant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and a stretched out arme: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabbath day. 16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath comanded thee, that thy dayes may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee vpon the land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee. 17 Thou shalt not kill. 18 Neither shalt thou commit adulterie. 19 Neither shalt thou steale. 20 Neither shalt thou beare false witnesse against thy neighbour. 21 Neither shalt thou couet thy neighbours wife, neither shalt thou desire thy neighbours house, his fielde, nor his man seruant, nor his mayd, his oxe, nor his asse, nor ought that thy neighbour hath. 22 These wordes the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the mids of the fire, the cloude and the darkenes, with a great voyce, and added no more thereto: and wrote them vpon two tables of stone, and deliuered them vnto me. 23 And when ye heard the voyce out of the middes of the darkenes, (for the mountaine did burne with fire) then ye came to me, all the chiefe of your tribes, and your Elders: 24 And ye sayd, Beholde, the Lord our God hath shewed vs his glory and his greatnes, and we haue heard his voyce out of the middes of the fire: we haue seene this day that God doeth talke with man, and he liueth. 25 Now therefore, why should we dye? for this great fire wil consume vs: if we heare ye voyce of the Lord our God any more, we shall dye. 26 For what flesh was there euer, that heard the voyce of the liuing God speaking out of the middes of the fire as we haue, and liued? 27 Go thou neere and heare all that the Lord our God saith: and declare thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thee, and we will heare it, and doe it. 28 Then the Lord heard the voyce of your wordes, when ye spake vnto me: and the Lord sayd vnto me, I haue heard the voyce of ye wordes of this people, which they haue spoken vnto thee: they haue well sayd, all that they haue spoken. 29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to feare me, and to keepe all my commandements alway: that it might go well with them, and with their children for euer. 30 Go, say vnto them, Returne you into your tentes. 31 But stand thou here with me, and I wil tell thee all the commandements, and the ordinances, and the lawes, which thou shalt teach them: that they may doe them in the land which I giue them to possesse it. 32 Take heede therefore, that ye doe as the Lord your God hath commanded you: turne not aside to the right hand nor to the left, 33 But walke in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may liue, and that it may goe well with you: and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shall possesse.