Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

1Then God spoke all these words, saying,

2“1I am the Lord your God, 2who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of 3slavery.

3“4You shall have no other 5gods 6before Me.

4“7You shall not make for yourself 8an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 59You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a 10jealous God, 11visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to 12thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7“13You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not 14leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

8“Remember 15the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 916Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it 17you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who 18stays with you. 1119For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

12“20Honor your father and your mother, that your 21days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

13“22You shall not murder.

14“23You shall not commit adultery.

15“24You shall not steal.

16“25You shall not bear false witness against your 26neighbor.

17“27You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; 28you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

1829All the people perceived the 30thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 1931Then they said to Moses, “Speak 32to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak 33to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “34Do not be afraid; for God has come in order 35to test you, and in order that 36the fear of Him may 37remain with you, so that you may not sin.” 21So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached 38the thick cloud where God was.

22Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that 39I have spoken 40to you from heaven. 2341You shall not make other gods besides Me; 42gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. 24You shall make 43an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your 44burnt offerings and your 45peace offerings, 46your sheep and your oxen; in every place 47where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25If you make an altar of stone for Me, 48you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. 26And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that 49your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’