Moses on Sinai

19 (A)In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, [a]on that very day they came into the wilderness of (B)Sinai. When they set out from (C)Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of (D)the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and (E)the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: (F)You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on (G)eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, (H)if you will indeed obey My voice and (I)keep My covenant, then you shall be (J)My [b]own possession among all the peoples, for (K)all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me (L)a kingdom of priests and (M)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

(N)So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. Then (O)all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in (P)a thick cloud, so that the (Q)people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

10 The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and (R)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them (S)wash their garments; 11 and have them ready for the third day, for on (T)the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 But you shall set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘[c]Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; (U)whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but (V)he shall certainly be stoned or [d]shot through; whether animal or person, the violator shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to (W)the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. 15 He also said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

16 (X)So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were [e]thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the [f]foot of the mountain.

The Lord Visits Sinai

18 (Y)Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it (Z)in fire; and its smoke ascended like (AA)the smoke of a furnace, and (AB)the entire mountain [g]quaked violently. 19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and (AC)God answered him with [h]thunder. 20 Then (AD)the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, [i]warn the people, so that (AE)they do not break through to the Lord to stare, and many of them [j]perish. 22 Also have the (AF)priests who approach the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You [k]warned us, saying, ‘(AG)Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24 Then the Lord said to him, “[l]Go down and come up again, (AH)you and Aaron with you; but do not let the (AI)priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments

20 Then God spoke all these words, saying,

(AJ)I am the Lord your God, (AK)who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [m]slavery.

(AL)You shall have no other (AM)gods [n]before Me.

(AN)You shall not make for yourself [o]an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. (AO)You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a (AP)jealous God, (AQ)inflicting the [p]punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing [q]favor to (AR)thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

(AS)You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not [r]leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

“Remember (AT)the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (AU)For six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it (AV)you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your [s]resident who [t]stays with you. 11 (AW)For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 (AX)Honor your father and your mother, so that your (AY)days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

13 (AZ)You shall not murder.

14 (BA)You shall not commit adultery.

15 (BB)You shall not steal.

16 (BC)You shall not [u]give false testimony against your (BD)neighbor.

17 (BE)You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; (BF)you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

18 And (BG)all the people were watching and hearing the [v]thunder and the lightning flashes, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it all, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 (BH)Then they said to Moses, “Speak [w]to us yourself and we will listen; but do not have God speak [x]to us, or we will die!” 20 However, Moses said to the people, “(BI)Do not be afraid; for God has come in order (BJ)to test you, and in order that (BK)the fear of Him may [y]remain with you, so that you will not sin.” 21 So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached (BL)the thick darkness where God was.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that (BM)I have spoken [z]to you from heaven. 23 (BN)You shall not make other gods besides Me; (BO)gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. 24 You shall make (BP)an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your (BQ)burnt offerings and your (BR)peace offerings, (BS)your sheep and your oxen; in every place (BT)where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25 And if you make an altar of stone for Me, (BU)you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your chisel on it, you will profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that (BV)your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’

Ordinances for the People

21 “Now these are the (BW)ordinances which you are to set before them:

“If you buy (BX)a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall leave as a free man without a payment to you. If he comes [aa]alone, he shall leave [ab]alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall leave with him. If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall leave [ac]alone. But (BY)if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not leave as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to [ad]God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an [ae]awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

“Now (BZ)if a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to [af]go free (CA)as the male slaves [ag]do. If she is [ah]displeasing in the eyes of her master [ai]who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people, because of his [aj]unfairness to her. And if he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10 If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her [ak]food, her clothing, or (CB)her conjugal rights. 11 But if he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go [al]free for nothing, without payment of money.

Personal Injuries

12 (CC)He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death. 13 (CD)Yet [am]if he did not lie in wait for him, but (CE)God caused him to fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14 (CF)If, however, someone is enraged against his neighbor, so as to kill him in a cunning way, you are to take him even from My altar, to be put to death.

15 “And one who strikes his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.

16 “Now (CG)one who [an]kidnaps someone, whether he sells him or he is found in his [ao]possession, shall certainly be put to death.

17 “And (CH)one who curses his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.

18 “Now if people have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with a fist, and he does not die but [ap]is confined to bed, 19 if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his [aq]loss of time, and [ar]shall pay for his care until he is completely healed.

20 “And if someone strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies [as]at his hand, he shall [at]be punished. 21 If, however, the slave [au]survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; (CI)for the slave is his [av]property.

22 “Now if people struggle with each other and strike a pregnant woman so that [aw]she gives birth prematurely, but there is no injury, the guilty person shall certainly be fined as the woman’s husband [ax]may demand of him, and he shall (CJ)pay [ay]as the judges decide. 23 But if there is any further injury, (CK)then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 (CL)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, [az]bruise for bruise.

26 “And if someone strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he shall let [ba]the slave go free on account of the eye. 27 And if he [bb]knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let [bc]the slave go free on account of the tooth.

28 “Now if an ox gores a man or a woman [bd]to death, (CM)the ox shall certainly be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29 If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is [be]demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is [bf]demanded of him. 31 Whether it gores a son or [bg]a daughter, it shall be done to him according to [bh]the same rule. 32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, [bi]the owner shall give his or her master [bj](CN)thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Property Rights

33 “Now if someone opens a pit, or [bk]digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall [bl]give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

35 “And if someone’s ox injures another’s ox so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its proceeds equally; and they shall also divide the dead ox. 36 Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he must make restitution of ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 19:1 Lit on this day
  2. Exodus 19:5 Or special treasure
  3. Exodus 19:12 Lit Take heed to yourselves
  4. Exodus 19:13 I.e., with arrows
  5. Exodus 19:16 Lit sounds
  6. Exodus 19:17 Lit lower part
  7. Exodus 19:18 Or trembled
  8. Exodus 19:19 Or a voice; lit a sound
  9. Exodus 19:21 Lit testify to
  10. Exodus 19:21 Lit fall
  11. Exodus 19:23 Lit testified to
  12. Exodus 19:24 Lit Go, descend
  13. Exodus 20:2 Lit slaves
  14. Exodus 20:3 Or besides Me
  15. Exodus 20:4 Or a carved image
  16. Exodus 20:5 I.e., punishment for the wrongdoing
  17. Exodus 20:6 Or faithfulness
  18. Exodus 20:7 Or hold him guiltless
  19. Exodus 20:10 Lit stranger
  20. Exodus 20:10 Lit is in your gates
  21. Exodus 20:16 Lit answer as a false witness against
  22. Exodus 20:18 Lit sounds
  23. Exodus 20:19 Lit with
  24. Exodus 20:19 Lit with
  25. Exodus 20:20 Lit be before
  26. Exodus 20:22 Lit with
  27. Exodus 21:3 Lit by himself
  28. Exodus 21:3 Lit by himself
  29. Exodus 21:4 Lit by himself
  30. Exodus 21:6 Or the judges (who acted in God’s name)
  31. Exodus 21:6 I.e., a pointed tool
  32. Exodus 21:7 Lit go out
  33. Exodus 21:7 Lit go out
  34. Exodus 21:8 Lit bad
  35. Exodus 21:8 Another reading is so that he did not designate her
  36. Exodus 21:8 Lit dealing treacherously
  37. Exodus 21:10 Lit flesh
  38. Exodus 21:11 Lit out
  39. Exodus 21:13 Lit he who
  40. Exodus 21:16 Lit steals
  41. Exodus 21:16 Lit hand
  42. Exodus 21:18 Lit lies in
  43. Exodus 21:19 Lit his sitting
  44. Exodus 21:19 Lit healing, he shall cause to be healed
  45. Exodus 21:20 Lit under
  46. Exodus 21:20 Lit suffer vengeance
  47. Exodus 21:21 Lit stands
  48. Exodus 21:21 Lit money
  49. Exodus 21:22 Or an untimely birth occurs; lit her children come out
  50. Exodus 21:22 Lit lays on him
  51. Exodus 21:22 Lit by arbitration
  52. Exodus 21:25 Lit welt
  53. Exodus 21:26 Lit him go...his eye
  54. Exodus 21:27 Lit causes to fall
  55. Exodus 21:27 Lit him go...his tooth
  56. Exodus 21:28 Lit so that he dies
  57. Exodus 21:30 Lit laid on him
  58. Exodus 21:30 Lit laid on him
  59. Exodus 21:31 Lit gores a daughter
  60. Exodus 21:31 Lit this judgment
  61. Exodus 21:32 Lit he
  62. Exodus 21:32 About 15 oz. or 425 gm
  63. Exodus 21:33 Lit if a man digs
  64. Exodus 21:34 Lit give back

At Mount Sinai

19 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt(A)—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.(B) After they set out from Rephidim,(C) they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.(D)

Then Moses went up to God,(E) and the Lord called(F) to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,(G) and how I carried you on eagles’ wings(H) and brought you to myself.(I) Now if you obey me fully(J) and keep my covenant,(K) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.(L) Although the whole earth(M) is mine, you[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests(N) and a holy nation.’(O) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

So Moses went back and summoned the elders(P) of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.(Q) The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”(R) So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,(S) so that the people will hear me speaking(T) with you and will always put their trust(U) in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate(V) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes(W) 11 and be ready by the third day,(X) because on that day the Lord will come down(Y) on Mount Sinai(Z) in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits(AA) for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned(AB) or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn(AC) sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”(AD)

14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.(AE) 15 Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain(AF) from sexual relations.”

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder(AG) and lightning, with a thick cloud(AH) over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.(AI) Everyone in the camp trembled.(AJ) 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.(AK) 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,(AL) because the Lord descended on it in fire.(AM) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,(AN) and the whole mountain[b] trembled(AO) violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice(AP) of God answered(AQ) him.[c]

20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai(AR) and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see(AS) the Lord and many of them perish.(AT) 22 Even the priests, who approach(AU) the Lord, must consecrate(AV) themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”(AW)

23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,(AX) because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits(AY) around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

24 The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron(AZ) up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”(BA)

25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments(BB)

20 And God spoke(BC) all these words:(BD)

“I am the Lord your God,(BE) who brought you out(BF) of Egypt,(BG) out of the land of slavery.(BH)

“You shall have no other gods before[d] me.(BI)

“You shall not make for yourself an image(BJ) in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship(BK) them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,(BL) punishing the children for the sin of the parents(BM) to the third and fourth generation(BN) of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand(BO) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

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

“Remember the Sabbath(BQ) day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,(BR) 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath(BS) 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. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,(BT) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested(BU) on the seventh day.(BV) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother,(BW) so that you may live long(BX) in the land(BY) the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.(BZ)

14 “You shall not commit adultery.(CA)

15 “You shall not steal.(CB)

16 “You shall not give false testimony(CC) against your neighbor.(CD)

17 “You shall not covet(CE) 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.”

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

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.(CK) God has come to test(CL) you, so that the fear(CM) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”(CN)

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

Idols and Altars

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

24 “‘Make an altar(CS) of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings(CT) and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name(CU) to be honored, I will come to you and bless(CV) you. 25 If 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(CW) on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts(CX) may be exposed.’

21 “These are the laws(CY) you are to set before them:

Hebrew Servants(CZ)(DA)

“If you buy a Hebrew servant,(DB) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,(DC) without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’(DD) then his master must take him before the judges.[e](DE) He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce(DF) his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.(DG)

“If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself,[f] he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.(DH) 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

Personal Injuries

12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.(DI) 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place(DJ) I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately,(DK) that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.(DL)

15 “Anyone who attacks[g] their father or mother is to be put to death.

16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death,(DM) whether the victim has been sold(DN) or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.

17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.(DO)

18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist[h] and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.

20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.(DP)

22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely[i] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands(DQ) and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,(DR) 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,(DS) hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

28 “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,(DT) and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up(DU) and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.(DV) 31 This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels[j](DW) of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

33 “If anyone uncovers a pit(DX) or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.

35 “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up,(DY) the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. You
  2. Exodus 19:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint and all the people
  3. Exodus 19:19 Or and God answered him with thunder
  4. Exodus 20:3 Or besides
  5. Exodus 21:6 Or before God
  6. Exodus 21:8 Or master so that he does not choose her
  7. Exodus 21:15 Or kills
  8. Exodus 21:18 Or with a tool
  9. Exodus 21:22 Or she has a miscarriage
  10. Exodus 21:32 That is, about 12 ounces or about 345 grams