The Ten Commandments(A)

Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws(B) I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. The Lord our God made a covenant(C) with us at Horeb.(D) It was not with our ancestors[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us,(E) with all of us who are alive here today.(F) The Lord spoke(G) to you face to face(H) out of the fire(I) on the mountain. (At that time I stood between(J) the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid(K) of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt,(L) out of the land of slavery.(M)

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

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.(N) You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents(O) to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,(P) 10 but showing love to a thousand(Q) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.(R)

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

12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,(U) as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day(V) is a sabbath 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,(W) nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.(X) 15 Remember that you were slaves(Y) in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand(Z) and an outstretched arm.(AA) Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

16 “Honor your father(AB) and your mother,(AC) as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long(AD) and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

17 “You shall not murder.(AE)

18 “You shall not commit adultery.(AF)

19 “You shall not steal.(AG)

20 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.(AH)

21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”(AI)

22 These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;(AJ) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets(AK) and gave them to me.

23 When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders(AL) came to me. 24 And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us(AM) his glory and his majesty,(AN) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.(AO) 25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.(AP) 26 For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?(AQ) 27 Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.(AR) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”(AS)

28 The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.(AT) 29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me(AU) and keep all my commands(AV) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!(AW)

30 “Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here(AX) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you;(AY) do not turn aside to the right or to the left.(AZ) 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you,(BA) so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days(BB) in the land that you will possess.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 5:3 Or not only with our parents
  2. Deuteronomy 5:7 Or besides

64 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(A) and come down,(B)
    that the mountains(C) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(D) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(E) before you!
For when you did awesome(F) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(G) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(H)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(I)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(J)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(K)
    How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,(L)
    and all our righteous(M) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(N)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(O)
No one(P) calls on your name(Q)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(R) your face from us
    and have given us over(S) to[b] our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(T)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;(U)
    we are all the work of your hand.(V)
Do not be angry(W) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins(X) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.(Y)
10 Your sacred cities(Z) have become a wasteland;
    even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(AA)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(AB) where our ancestors praised you,
    has been burned with fire,
    and all that we treasured(AC) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(AD)
    Will you keep silent(AE) and punish us beyond measure?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
  2. Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of

14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,(B)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.(C)

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox(D) come abundant harvests.

An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.(E)

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.(F)

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.(H)

Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can share its joy.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,(I)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.(J)

12 There is a way that appears to be right,(K)
    but in the end it leads to death.(L)

13 Even in laughter(M) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,(N)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.(O)

15 The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.(P)

16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,(Q)
    but a fool(R) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

17 A quick-tempered person(S) does foolish things,(T)
    and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.(U)

18 The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

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