The Ten Commandments^(A)

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

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. ² The Lord our God made a covenant^(C) with us at Horeb.^{(D) 3} It 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) 4} The 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:

²² These 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.

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

²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.^(F) God has come to test^(G) you, so that the fear^(H) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”^(I)

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

²² These 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;^(A) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(B) and gave them to me.

²³ When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(C) came to me. ²⁴ And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(D) his glory and his majesty,^(E) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^{(F) 25} But 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.^{(G) 26} For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^{(H) 27} Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(I) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(J)

²⁸ The 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.^{(K) 29} Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me^(L) and keep all my commands^(M) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!^(N)

³⁰ “Go, tell them to return to their tents. ³¹ But you stay here^(O) 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.”

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

God’s Angel to Prepare the Way

²⁰ “See, I am sending an angel^(A) ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.^{(B) 21} Pay attention to him and listen^(C) to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive^(D) your rebellion,^(E) since my Name^(F) is in him. ²² If you listen carefully to what he says and do^(G) all that I say, I will be an enemy^(H) to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. ²³ My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,^(I) and I will wipe them out. ²⁴ Do not bow down before their gods or worship^(J) them or follow their practices.^(K) You must demolish^(L) them and break their sacred stones^(M) to pieces. ²⁵ Worship the Lord your God,^(N) and his blessing^(O) will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness^(P) from among you, ²⁶ and none will miscarry or be barren^(Q) in your land. I will give you a full life span.^(R)

²⁷ “I will send my terror^(S) ahead of you and throw into confusion^(T) every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.^{(U) 28} I will send the hornet^(V) ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites^(W) out of your way. ²⁹ But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals^(X) too numerous for you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession^(Y) of the land.

³¹ “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea^[a] to the Mediterranean Sea,^[b] and from the desert to the Euphrates River.^(Z) I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out^(AA) before you. ³² Do not make a covenant^(AB) with them or with their gods. ³³ Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare^(AC) to you.”

The Covenant Confirmed

24 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron,^(A) Nadab and Abihu,^(B) and seventy of the elders^(C) of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, ² but Moses alone is to approach^(D) the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”

³ When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws,^(E) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”^{(F) 4} Moses then wrote^(G) down everything the Lord had said.

He got up early the next morning and built an altar^(H) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars^(I) representing the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings^(J) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings^(K) to the Lord. ⁶ Moses^(L) took half of the blood^(M) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed^(N) against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant^(O) and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”^(P)

⁸ Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people^(Q) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant^(R) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

⁹ Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders^(S) of Israel went up ¹⁰ and saw^(T) the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,^(U) as bright blue as the sky.^{(V) 11} But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw^(W) God, and they ate and drank.^(X)

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone^(Y) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ Then Moses set out with Joshua^(Z) his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain^(AA) of God. ¹⁴ He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur^(AB) are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute^(AC) can go to them.”

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud^(AD) covered it, ¹⁶ and the glory^(AE) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.^(AF) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.^{(AG) 17} To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire^(AH) on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty^(AI) days and forty nights.^(AJ)