The Ten Commandments

5 Moses sent for all the Israelites. Here is what he said to them.

Israel, listen to me. Here are the rules and laws I’m announcing to you today. Learn them well. Be sure to obey them. ² The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Mount Horeb. ³ He didn’t make it only with our people of long ago. He also made it with us. In fact, he made it with all of us who are alive here today. ⁴ The Lord spoke to you face to face. His voice came out of the fire on the mountain. ⁵ At that time I stood between the Lord and you. I announced to you the Lord’s message. I did it because you were afraid of the fire. You didn’t go up the mountain.

The Lord said,

⁶ “I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.

²² These are the commandments the Lord announced in a loud voice to your whole community. He gave them to you there on the mountain. He spoke out of the fire, cloud and deep darkness. He didn’t add anything else. Then he wrote the commandments on two stone tablets. And he gave them to me.

²³ The mountain was blazing with fire. You heard the voice coming out of the darkness. So your elders and all the leaders of your tribes came to me. ²⁴ You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his glory and majesty. We have heard his voice coming out of the fire. Today we have seen that a person can still stay alive even if God speaks with them. ²⁵ But why should we die? This great fire will burn us up. We’ll die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God again. ²⁶ We have heard the voice of the living God. We’ve heard him speaking out of the fire. Has any other human being ever heard him speak like that and stayed alive? ²⁷ Go near and listen to everything the Lord our God says. Then tell us what he tells you. We will listen and obey.”

²⁸ The Lord heard you when you spoke to me. He said to me, “I have heard what these people said to you. Everything they said was good. ²⁹ But I wish they would always have respect for me in their hearts. I wish they would always obey all my commands. Then things would go well with them and their children forever.

³⁰ “Go and tell them to return to their tents. ³¹ But you stay here with me. Then I will give you all my commands, rules and laws. You must teach the people to obey them in the land I am giving them as their very own.”

³² So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you. Don’t turn away from his commands to the right or the left. ³³ Live exactly as the Lord your God has commanded you to live. Then you will enjoy life in the land you will soon own. Things will go well with you there. You will live there for a long time.

Love the Lord Your God

6 The Lord your God has directed me to teach you his commands, rules and laws. Obey them in the land you will take over when you go across the Jordan River. ² Then you, your children and their children after them will honor the Lord your God as long as you live. Obey all his rules and commands I’m giving you. If you do, you will enjoy long life. ³ Israel, listen to me. Make sure you obey me. Then things will go well with you. The number of your people will increase greatly in a land that has plenty of milk and honey. That’s what the Lord, the God of your parents, promised you.

⁴ Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is the one and only God. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength. ⁶ The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. ⁷ Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up. ⁸ Write them down and tie them on your hands as a reminder. Also tie them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses. Also write them on your gates.

¹⁰ The Lord your God will bring you into the land of Canaan. He gave his word. He promised he would give the land to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The land has large, wealthy cities you didn’t build. ¹¹ It has houses filled with all kinds of good things you didn’t provide. The land has wells you didn’t dig. And it has vineyards and groves of olive trees you didn’t plant. You will have plenty to eat. ¹² But be careful that you don’t forget the Lord. Remember that he brought you out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves.

¹³ Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve. When you make promises, do so in his name. ¹⁴ Don’t serve the gods of the nations around you. ¹⁵ The Lord your God is among you. He wants you to worship only him. If you worship other gods, God will be very angry with you. And he will destroy you from the face of the land. ¹⁶ Don’t test the Lord your God as you did at Massah. ¹⁷ Be sure to obey the Lord’s commands. Obey the terms and rules he has given you. ¹⁸ Do what is right and good in the Lord’s eyes. Then things will go well with you. You will go in and take over the land. It’s the good land the Lord promised to your people of long ago. ¹⁹ You will drive out all your enemies to make room for you. That’s what the Lord said would happen.

²⁰ Later on, your child might ask you, “What is the meaning of the terms, rules and laws the Lord our God has commanded you to obey?” ²¹ If they do ask you, tell them, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. But the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt. ²² With our own eyes we saw the Lord send amazing signs. They were great and terrible. He sent them on Egypt and Pharaoh and everyone in his house. ²³ But the Lord brought us out of Egypt. He planned to bring us into the land of Canaan and give it to us. It’s the land he promised to our people of long ago. ²⁴ The Lord our God commanded us to obey all his rules. He commanded us to honor him. If we do, we will always succeed and be kept alive. That’s what is happening today. ²⁵ We must make sure we obey the whole law in the sight of the Lord our God. That’s what he has commanded us to do. If we obey his law, we’ll be doing what he requires of us.”

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son From the Dead

¹¹ Some time later, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² He approached the town gate. Just then, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. So he said, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the coffin. Those carrying it stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ The people were all filled with wonder and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” ¹⁷ This news about Jesus spread all through Judea and the whole country.

Jesus and John the Baptist

¹⁸ John’s disciples told him about all these things. So he chose two of them. ¹⁹ He sent them to the Lord. John told them to ask him, “Are you the one who is supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?”

²⁰ The men came to Jesus. They said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?’ ”

²¹ At that time Jesus healed many people. They had illnesses, sicknesses and evil spirits. He also gave sight to many who were blind. ²² So Jesus replied to the messengers, “Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are made ‘clean.’ Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is announced to those who are poor. ²³ Blessed is anyone who does not give up their faith because of me.”

²⁴ So John’s messengers left. Then Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. He said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? Tall grass waving in the wind? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. Those who wear fine clothes and have many expensive things are in palaces. ²⁶ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ He is the one written about in Scripture. It says,

²⁸ I tell you, no one more important than John has ever been born. But the least important person in God’s kingdom is more important than John is.”

²⁹ All the people who heard Jesus’ words agreed that God’s way was right. Even the tax collectors agreed. These people had all been baptized by John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the authorities on the law did not accept for themselves God’s purpose. So they had not been baptized by John.

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “What can I compare today’s people to? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the market and calling out to each other. They say,

³³ That is how it has been with John the Baptist. When he came to you, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ But when the Son of Man came, he ate and drank as you do. And you say, ‘This fellow is always eating and drinking far too much. He’s a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ ³⁵ All who follow wisdom prove that wisdom is right.”