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You shall not make any carved image for yourself or a likeness of anything in heaven above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow down to them or be subservient to them,[a] for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.[b] I follow up on[c] the guilt of the fathers with their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, if they also hate me. But I show mercy to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 20:5 The verb is not the normal form for serve but a special form that implies subservience.
  2. Exodus 20:5 That is, I am a God who demands exclusive loyalty
  3. Exodus 20:5 Or demand an accounting for. The Hebrew verb pachad has traditionally been translated visit, but in present-day English visit usually has a social connotation. The term, however, refers to an official visit to bring punishment or reward to someone.