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

Psalm 139

New International Version

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹You have searched me,^(A) Lord,
    and you know^(B) me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;^(C)
    you perceive my thoughts^(D) from afar.
³You discern my going out^(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.^(F)
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.^(G)
⁵You hem me in^(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,^(I)
    too lofty^(J) for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee^(K) from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens,^(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed^(M) in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,^(N)
    your right hand^(O) will hold me fast.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹²even the darkness will not be dark^(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being;^(Q)
    you knit me together^(R) in my mother’s womb.^(S)
¹⁴I praise you^(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,^(U)
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made^(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together^(W) in the depths of the earth.^(X)
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained^(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a]^(Z) God!^(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,^(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand^(AC)—
    when I awake,^(AD) I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you, God, would slay the wicked!^(AE)
    Away from me,^(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!^(AG)
²⁰They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries^(AH) misuse your name.^(AI)
²¹Do I not hate those^(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor^(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
²²I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.^(AL)
²³Search me,^(AM) God, and know my heart;^(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴See if there is any offensive way^(AO) in me,
    and lead me^(AP) in the way everlasting.