Exodus 20
Christian Standard Bible
The Ten Commandments
20 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.(A)
3 Do not have other gods besides me.(B)
4 Do not make an idol(C) for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,(D) bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations(E) of those who hate me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.(F)
7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.(G)
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:(H) 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work,(I) 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.(J) 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother(K) so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 Do not murder.(L)
14 Do not commit adultery.(M)
15 Do not steal.(N)
16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.(O)
17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.(P)
The People’s Reaction
18 All the people witnessed[a] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it[b] they trembled and stood at a distance.(Q) 19 “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”(R)
20 Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not[c] sin.”(S) 21 And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the total darkness where God was.(T)
Moses Receives Additional Laws
22 Then the Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.(U) 23 Do not make gods of silver to rival me; do not make gods of gold for yourselves.(V)
24 “Make an earthen altar for me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your flocks and herds. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause my name to be remembered.(W) 25 If you make a stone altar for me, do not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.(X) 26 Do not go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.
Exodus 20
Lexham English Bible
Ten Commandments
20 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.
3 “There shall be for you no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a divine image with any form that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth below or that is in the water below the earth. 5 You will not bow down to them, and you will not serve them, because I am Yahweh your God, a jealous God, punishing the guilt of the parents on the children on the third and on the fourth generations[a] of those hating me, 6 and showing loyal love to thousands of generations[b] of those loving me and of those keeping my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God,[c] because Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name.[d]
8 “Remember the day of the Sabbath, to consecrate it. 9 Six days you will work, and you will do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God; you will not do any work—you or your son or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your animal, or your alien who is in your gates— 11 because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore Yahweh blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days can be long on the land that Yahweh your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not testify against your neighbor with a false witness.
17 “You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; you will not covet the wife of your neighbor or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
18 And all the people were seeing the thunder and the lightning and the sound of the ram’s horn and the mountain smoking, and the people saw, and they trembled, and they stood at a distance. 19 And they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will listen, but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that his fear will be before you so that you do not sin.” 21 And the people stood at a distance, and Moses approached the very thick cloud where God was.
Instructions for Building Altars
22 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Thus you will say to the Israelites,[e] ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from the heavens. 23 You will not make alongside me gods of silver, and gods of gold you will not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you will make for me, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered,[f] I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make an altar of stones for me, you will not build them as hewn stone, because if you use your chisel on it, you have defiled it. 26 You will not go up with steps onto my altar, that your nakedness not be exposed on it.’
Footnotes
- Exodus 20:5 “Generations” is understood from comparison with parallel verses (compare Exod 34:6–7; Deut 7:9)
- Exodus 20:6 “Generations” is understood from comparison with parallel verses ( compare Exod 34:6–7; Deut 7:9)
- Exodus 20:7 Literally “take up/bear/carry the name of Yahweh your God for what is worthless/false/empty”
- Exodus 20:7 Literally “bears his name for what is false”
- Exodus 20:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 20:24 Or “proclaimed”
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