Deuteronomy 5

The Ten Commandments

And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. a The  Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. b Not with our fathers did the  Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The  Lord spoke with you c face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, d while I stood between the  Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the  Lord. For e you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:

f “‘I am the  Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“‘You shall have no other gods before
Or besides
me.

“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the  Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to h thousands
Or  to the thousandth generation
of those who love me and keep my commandments.

11 “‘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.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the  Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but j the seventh day is a Sabbath to the  Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, k that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15  l You shall remember that you were a slave
Or servant
in the land of Egypt, and the  Lord your God brought you out from there n with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the  Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the  Lord your God commanded you, o that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the  Lord your God is giving you.

17  p “‘You shall not murder.
The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence

18  r “‘And you shall not commit adultery.

19 “‘And you shall not steal.

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

22 These words the  Lord spoke to all your assembly s at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And t he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 And u as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. 24 And you said, ‘Behold, the  Lord our God has shown us his glory and v greatness, and w we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man x still live. 25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. y If we hear the voice of the  Lord our God any more, we shall die. 26  z For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? 27 Go near and hear all that the  Lord our God will say, and aa speak to us all that the  Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “And the  Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the  Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. ab They are right in all that they have spoken. 29  ac Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments ad that it might go well with them and with their descendants
Or sons
forever!
30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and af I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the  Lord your God has commanded you. ag You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33  ah You shall walk in all the way that the  Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and ai that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

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