Exodus

Chapter 20

1 God spoke all these words , saying ,

2 " I am Yahweh your God , who brought you out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of bondage .

3 " You shall have no other gods before me .

4 " You shall not make for yourselves an idol , nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above , or that is in the earth beneath , or that is in the water under the earth :

5 you shall not bow yourself down to them , nor serve them , for I , Yahweh your God , am a jealous God , visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children , on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me ,

6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments .

7 " You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God , for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name .

8 " Remember the Sabbath day , to keep it holy .

9 You shall labor six days , and do all your work ,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God . You shall not do any work in it , you , nor your son , nor your daughter , your male servant , nor your female servant , nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates ;

11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth , the sea , and all that is in them , and rested the seventh day ; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day , and made it holy .

12 " Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you .

13 " You shall not murder .

14 " You shall not commit adultery .

15 " You shall not steal .

16 " You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor .

17 " You shall not covet your neighbor ’s house . You shall not covet your neighbor ’s wife, nor his male servant , nor his female servant , nor his ox , nor his donkey , nor anything that is your neighbor ’s."

18 All the people perceived the thunderings , the lightnings , the sound of the trumpet , and the mountain smoking . When the people saw it , they trembled , and stayed at a distance .

19 They said to Moses , " Speak with us yourself , and we will listen ; but don’t let God speak with us , lest we die ."

20 Moses said to the people , "Don’t be afraid , for God has come to test you , and that his fear may be before you , that you won’t sin ."

21 The people stayed at a distance , and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was .

22 Yahweh said to Moses , " This is what you shall tell the children of Israel : ‘ You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven .

23 You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me .

24 You shall make an altar of earth for me , and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings , your sheep and your cattle . In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you .

25 If you make me an altar of stone , you shall not build it of cut stones ; for if you lift up your tool on it , you have polluted it .

26 You shall not go up by steps to my altar , that your nakedness may not be exposed to it .’