THE BOOK OF EXODUS

 

Exodus Chapter 20

1 ¶ Then God spoke all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 You shall have no other gods before me.

4 You shall not make for yourself any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 You shall not bow down yourself to them, or serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of those who hate me;

6 And showing mercy to thousands of those who love me, and keep my commandments.

7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shall you labor, and do all your work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or a foreigner who is within your gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything that is in them, and rested on the seventh day: for that reason the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and made it holy.

12 ¶ Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you.

13 You shall not kill.

14 You shall not commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is your neighbor’s.

18 ¶ And when all the people heard the thunderings, and the blast of the trumpet, and saw the lightnings, and the mountain smoking: they retreated, and stood afar off.

19 And they said to Moses, If you speak with us, we will listen: but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.

20 And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid: for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him, and not sin.

21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

22 ¶ And the LORD said to Moses, This is what you shall say to the children of Israel, You have seen me talk with you from heaven.

23 You shall not make for yourselves gods of silver, or gods of gold, to be worshipped along with me.

24 You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice your burnt offerings, and your peace offerings, your sheep, and your oxen on it: in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you, and I will bless you.

25 And if you want to make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stone: for if you use your tool on it, you have polluted it.

26 Nor shall you go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.