Exodus 20

1 God spoke all the following words:

And God spoke all these words:

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 slavery.

3 You must not have any other gods except me.

You shall have no other gods before 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 for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

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 or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

6 but I show trustworthy love to the thousands of generations who love me and keep my commandments.

but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and 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 will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

9 You have six days to work and earn your living,

Six days you shall labor and do 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 the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates.

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 heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

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.

Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

13 You must not murder.

You shall not murder.

14 You must not commit adultery.

You shall not commit adultery.

15 You must not steal.

You shall not steal.

16 You must not give false evidence against others.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

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 neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

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.

When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance.

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.”

“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will 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.”

“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”

21 The people stood a long way off as Moses went over to the thick, dark cloud where God was.

And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick 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.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You have seen for yourselves 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 are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold.

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 are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, 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.

Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.

26 Also, you must not go up to my altar using steps, so your private parts are not seen.’”

And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’