The Ten Commandments

And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. (A)The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. (B)Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you (C)face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, (D)while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For (E)you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:

(F)“‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“‘You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to (G)thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.

11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but (H)the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, (I)that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 (J)You shall remember that you were a slave[c] in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there (K)with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, (L)that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

17 (M)“‘You shall not murder.[d]

18 (N)“‘And you shall not commit adultery.

19 “‘And you shall not steal.

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’

22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly (O)at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And (P)he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 And (Q)as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. 24 And you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and (R)greatness, and (S)we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man (T)still live. 25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. (U)If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die. 26 (V)For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? 27 Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say, and (W)speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. (X)They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 (Y)Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, (Z)that it might go well with them and with their descendants[e] forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and (AA)I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. (AB)You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 (AC)You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and (AD)that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 5:7 Or besides
  2. Deuteronomy 5:10 Or to the thousandth generation
  3. Deuteronomy 5:15 Or servant
  4. Deuteronomy 5:17 The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence
  5. Deuteronomy 5:29 Or sons

The Ten Commandments(A)

Moses called all of Israel together and told them: “Listen, Israel! Today I’m going to announce God’s laws and regulations so that you will learn them and take care to obey them. When the Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb, it was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us—we who are here today—all of us who are now living. The Lord spoke to you face to face on the mountain from the fire. I stood at that time as mediator[a] between the Lord and you to declare his[b] message to you, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain. He said:

א[c] “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt—from the house of slavery. You are to have no other gods as a substitute for me.[d]
ב “‘You are not to craft for yourselves an idol resembling what is in the skies above, or on earth beneath, or in the water sources under the earth. You are not to bow down to them in worship or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the guilt of parents[e] on children, to the third and fourth generation[f] of those who hate me, 10 but showing gracious love to the thousands of those who love me and keep my[g] commandments.
ג 11 “‘You are not to misuse the name of the Lord your God,[h] because the Lord will not leave unpunished the one who misuses his name.[i]
ד 12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, maintaining its holiness,[j] just as the Lord your God commanded. 13 Six days you are to labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You are not to do any work—neither you, your son, nor your daughter,[k] your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys, nor any of your livestock, nor any foreigner who lives among you—[l] so that your male and female servants may rest as you do. 15 You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out from there with great power and a show of force.[m] Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
ה 16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, just as the Lord your God commanded you, so that you will live long and things will go well for you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
ו 17 “‘You are not to commit murder.
ז 18 “‘You are not to commit adultery.
ח 19 “‘You are not to steal.
ט 20 “‘You are not to give false testimony against your neighbor.
י 21 “‘You are not to desire[n] your neighbor’s wife nor crave your neighbor’s house,[o] his fields, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, nor anything else that pertains to your neighbor.’”

Moses Recalls God’s Warnings

22 “The Lord declared these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly on the mountain from out of the fire[p] and dark clouds,[q] and nothing more was added. He inscribed them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 When you heard the voice from the darkness while the mountain was blazing, all the leaders and elders of your tribes came to me and said: 24 ‘The Lord our God truly has displayed his glory and power, for we heard him[r] from out of the fire today. We have witnessed how God spoke to human beings, yet they lived. 25 Now therefore, why should we die? This great fire will consume us. If we continue to listen to the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we’ll die. 26 For what mortal man[s] has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire like we did, and lived? 27 As for you, go near and listen to everything that the Lord our God will say to you, then repeat it[t] to us, and we’ll listen and obey.’

28 “The Lord heard what you said. He told me: ‘I’ve heard what this people said. Everything they said was good. 29 If only they would commit[u] to fear me and keep all my commands, then it will go well with them and their children forever. 30 Go and tell them to return to their tents, 31 but you stand here with me and I’ll speak to you all the commands, decrees, and laws that you must teach them to observe in the land that I’m giving you to possess. 32 You must be careful to do what the Lord your God commanded you, turning neither to the left nor to the right. 33 You are to walk in every pathway that the Lord your God commanded you, so that life[v] may go well for you, and so that you will prolong your days in the land that you will possess.’”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 5:5 The Heb. lacks as mediator
  2. Deuteronomy 5:5 Lit. the Lord’s
  3. Deuteronomy 5:5 The Heb. letters to the left denote numbers 1-10
  4. Deuteronomy 5:7 Lit. gods besides me
  5. Deuteronomy 5:9 Lit. fathers
  6. Deuteronomy 5:9 So LXX. The Heb. lacks generation
  7. Deuteronomy 5:10 The MT is written his but is to be read my
  8. Deuteronomy 5:11 Lit. to take in vain the name of the Lord your God; i.e. for a worthless purpose
  9. Deuteronomy 5:11 Lit. who takes his name in vain i.e. for a worthless purpose
  10. Deuteronomy 5:12 Lit. day as holy; i.e. to set apart the day as holy
  11. Deuteronomy 5:14 Lit. your sons and your daughters
  12. Deuteronomy 5:14 Lit. lives within your gates
  13. Deuteronomy 5:15 Lit. with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
  14. Deuteronomy 5:21 Lit. to covet; i.e. to set your heart on
  15. Deuteronomy 5:21 Or neighbor’s family dynasty
  16. Deuteronomy 5:22 LXX Sam Pentateuch read dark; cf. Deut 4:11
  17. Deuteronomy 5:22 Lit. cloud and thick darkness
  18. Deuteronomy 5:24 The Heb. lacks him
  19. Deuteronomy 5:26 Lit. For who among all flesh
  20. Deuteronomy 5:27 Lit. Then tell everything that the Lord our God will speak
  21. Deuteronomy 5:29 Lit. only their heart would incline
  22. Deuteronomy 5:33 Lit. it