Exodus 20

New International Version

The Ten Commandments^(A)

20 And God spoke^(B) all these words:^(C)

²“I am the Lord your God,^(D) who brought you out^(E) of Egypt,^(F) out of the land of slavery.^(G)

³“You shall have no other gods before^[a] me.^(H)

⁴“You shall not make for yourself an image^(I) in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship^(J) them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,^(K) punishing the children for the sin of the parents^(L) to the third and fourth generation^(M) of those who hate me, ⁶but showing love to a thousand^(N) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.^(O)

⁸“Remember the Sabbath^(P) day by keeping it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work,^(Q) ¹⁰but the seventh day is a sabbath^(R) to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,^(S) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested^(T) on the seventh day.^(U) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹²“Honor your father and your mother,^(V) so that you may live long^(W) in the land^(X) the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³“You shall not murder.^(Y)

¹⁴“You shall not commit adultery.^(Z)

¹⁵“You shall not steal.^(AA)

¹⁶“You shall not give false testimony^(AB) against your neighbor.^(AC)

¹⁷“You shall not covet^(AD) your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

¹⁸When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet^(AE) and saw the mountain in smoke,^(AF) they trembled with fear.^(AG) They stayed at a distance ¹⁹and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak^(AH) to us or we will die.”^(AI)

²⁰Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.^(AJ) God has come to test^(AK) you, so that the fear^(AL) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”^(AM)

²¹The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness^(AN) where God was.

Idols and Altars

²²Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:^(AO) ²³Do not make any gods to be alongside me;^(AP) do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.^(AQ)

²⁴“‘Make an altar^(AR) of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings^(AS) and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name^(AT) to be honored, I will come to you and bless^(AU) you. ²⁵If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool^(AV) on it. ²⁶And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts^(AW) may be exposed.’

Footnotes

Exodus 20:3 Or besides

Deuteronomy 5

New International Version

The Ten Commandments^(A)

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws^(B) I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. ²The Lord our God made a covenant^(C) with us at Horeb.^(D) ³It was not with our ancestors^[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us,^(E) with all of us who are alive here today.^(F) ⁴The Lord spoke^(G) to you face to face^(H) out of the fire^(I) on the mountain. ⁵(At that time I stood between^(J) the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid^(K) of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

⁶“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt,^(L) out of the land of slavery.^(M)

⁷“You shall have no other gods before^[b] me.

⁸“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.^(N) ⁹You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents^(O) to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,^(P) ¹⁰but showing love to a thousand^(Q) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.^(R)

¹¹“You shall not misuse the name^(S) of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.^(T)

¹²“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,^(U) as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹³Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴but the seventh day^(V) is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant,^(W) nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.^(X) ¹⁵Remember that you were slaves^(Y) in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand^(Z) and an outstretched arm.^(AA) Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

¹⁶“Honor your father^(AB) and your mother,^(AC) as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long^(AD) and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹⁷“You shall not murder.^(AE)

¹⁸“You shall not commit adultery.^(AF)

¹⁹“You shall not steal.^(AG)

²⁰“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.^(AH)

²¹“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”^(AI)

²²These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(AJ) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(AK) and gave them to me.

²³When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(AL) came to me. ²⁴And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(AM) his glory and his majesty,^(AN) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^(AO) ²⁵But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^(AP) ²⁶For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^(AQ) ²⁷Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(AR) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(AS)

²⁸The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.^(AT) ²⁹Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me^(AU) and keep all my commands^(AV) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!^(AW)

³⁰“Go, tell them to return to their tents. ³¹But you stay here^(AX) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

³²So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you;^(AY) do not turn aside to the right or to the left.^(AZ) ³³Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you,^(BA) so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days^(BB) in the land that you will possess.