1And God spoke all these words, saying, (De 5:6; De 5:22)2“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Le 26:13; Ps 81:10; Ho 13:4)3“You shall have no other gods before[1] me. (2Ki 17:35; Jer 25:6; Jer 35:15)4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Le 26:1; De 27:15; Ps 97:7; Ac 17:29)5You 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 the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Ex 23:24; Ex 34:7; Ex 34:14; Nu 14:18; De 4:24; De 6:15; Jos 23:7; Jos 24:19; Ps 79:8; Ps 109:14; Isa 65:6; Jer 32:18; Na 1:2)6but showing steadfast love to thousands[2] 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. (Le 19:12; Mt 5:34; Jas 5:12)8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Ex 31:13; Le 19:3; Le 19:30; Le 26:2)9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, (Ex 23:12; Ex 34:21; Ex 35:2; Le 23:3; Lu 13:14)10but 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, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. (Ge 2:2; Ex 16:26; Ex 31:15; Nu 15:32; Ne 13:16; Eze 20:12)11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Ge 1:1)12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. (Le 19:3; Jer 35:18; Mt 15:4; Mt 19:19; Mr 7:10; Mr 10:19; Lu 18:20; Eph 6:2; Eph 6:3)13“You shall not murder.[3] (Ge 9:5; Mt 5:21; Mt 19:18; Ro 13:9; 1Jo 3:15)14“You shall not commit adultery. (Le 18:20; De 22:22; Pr 6:32; Mt 5:27; Ro 13:9; 1Co 6:9; Heb 13:4)15“You shall not steal. (Le 19:11; Mt 19:18; Ro 13:9; Eph 4:28)16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Ex 23:1; De 19:16; Pr 19:5; Pr 19:9; Pr 21:28; Pr 24:28; Pr 25:18; Mt 19:18)17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Jer 5:8; Mic 2:2; Mt 5:28; Lu 12:15; Ro 7:7; Ro 13:9; Eph 5:3; Eph 5:5; Col 3:5; Heb 13:5)18Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid[4] and trembled, and they stood far off (Heb 12:18)19and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” (De 5:25; De 5:27; De 18:16; Ga 3:19; Heb 12:19)20Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” (Ge 22:1; De 13:3; 1Sa 12:20)21The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. (De 4:11; 2Sa 22:10; 1Ki 8:12; Ps 18:9; Ps 97:2)
Laws About Altars
22And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. (De 4:36; Ne 9:13; Heb 12:25)23You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. (Ex 32:31; 2Ki 17:33; Eze 20:39; Zep 1:5)24An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. (De 7:13; De 12:5; De 12:11; De 14:23; De 16:6; De 16:11; De 26:2; 1Ki 8:29; 1Ki 9:3; 2Ch 6:6; 2Ch 7:16; 2Ch 12:13; Ezr 6:12; Ne 1:9; Ps 74:7; Jer 7:10; Jer 7:12)25If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. (De 27:5; Jos 8:31; 1Ki 5:17; 1Ch 22:2)26And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’
Exodus 20
New International Version
The Ten Commandments
1And God spoke all these words:2‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.3‘You shall have no other gods before[1] me.4You 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.5You 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 to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,6but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.7You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.8Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.9Six days you shall labour and do all your work,10but the seventh day 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, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.12Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.13You shall not murder.14You shall not commit adultery.15You shall not steal.16You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.17You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’18When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance19and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not let God speak to us or we will die.’20Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’21The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
Idols and altars
22Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites this: “You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:23do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.24‘ “Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honoured, I will come to you and bless you.25If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.26And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.”
Exodus 20
King James Version
1And God spake all these words, saying,2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is , and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.13Thou shalt not kill.14Thou shalt not commit adultery.15Thou shalt not steal.16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.18And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it , they removed, and stood afar off.19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was .22And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Exodus 20
New International Reader’s Version
God gives his people the Ten Commandments
1Here are all the words God spoke. He said,2‘I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.3‘Do not put any other gods in place of me.4‘Do not make for yourself statues of gods that look like anything in the sky. They may not look like anything on the earth or in the waters either.5Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. I cause the sins of the parents to affect their children. I will cause the sins of those who hate me to affect even their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.6But for all time to come I show love to all those who love me and keep my commandments.7‘Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will find guilty anyone who misuses his name.8‘Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy.9Do all your work in six days.10But the seventh day is a sabbath to honour the LORD your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and your animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your towns.11In six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them. But he rested on the seventh day. So the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.12‘Honour your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving you.13‘Do not murder.14‘Do not commit adultery.15‘Do not steal.16‘Do not be a false witness against your neighbour.17‘Do not want to have anything your neighbour owns. Do not want to have your neighbour’s house, wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey.’18The people saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the trumpet. They saw the mountain covered with smoke. They trembled with fear and stayed a long way off.19They said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself. Then we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us. If he does, we’ll die.’20Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you. He wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning.’21Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. But the people remained a long way off.
Worship the Lord
22Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Here is what you must tell the people of Israel. Say to them, “You have seen for yourselves what I said to you from heaven.23Do not put any other gods in place of me. Do not make silver or gold statues of them for yourselves.24‘ “Make an altar out of soil for me. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and friendship offerings on it. Sacrifice your sheep, goats and cattle on it. I will come to you and bless you everywhere I cause my name to be honoured.25If you make an altar out of stones to honour me, do not build it with blocks of stone. You will make it ‘unclean’ if you use a tool on it.26Do not walk up steps to my altar. If you do, someone might see your naked body under your robes.”