Exodus Chapter 20

The Ten Commandments

            ¹ Then God spoke,

                  ²I am the LORD your God who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.

                  ³Do not have^f any god but me.

⁴ Do not make^f any carved image, any likeness of what is in the sky, on the ground, or in the water ⁵ to worship or serve. I am an exclusive God. I visit the consequences of parents’ sins on their descendants for three or four generations that hate me. ⁶ I am kind to thousands who love me and obey me.                           

Ex 20:1-6

                  ⁷Do not use^f my name LORD as a byword. I will punish whoever does that.

                  ⁸Remember to set the Sabbath day aside. ⁹ Work^f six days, ¹⁰ but on the seventh day rest to me, the LORD your God. Do not work^f that day—you, your son or daughter, male or female servant, livestock, or foreigner living among you. ¹¹ In six days I made earth and sky, the ocean and everything in them, and rested the seventh day. I have blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.

            ¹² Honor your parents so you will live a long time in the land I give you.

            ¹³ Do not commit murder^f.

            ¹⁴ Do not commit adultery^f.

            ¹⁵ Do not steal^f.

            ¹⁶ Do not lie^f about other people.

¹⁷ Do not covet^f someone else’s house, his wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey—anything that is his.”      

Ex 20:7-17

¹⁸ When people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the bugle sound and smoking mountain, they trembled and stood back a long way. ¹⁹ They told Moses, “You speak to us, and we’ll listen. Don’t have God speak to us—so we won’t die.” ²⁰ Moses told them, “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you, to make you respect him and not sin.” ²¹ They stood a long way off while Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

Ex 20:18-21

The Proper Use of Altars

            ²² The LORD told him to tell Israel,

“You’ve seen that I’ve spoken to you from the sky. ²³ Don’t make^f other gods, silver or gold. ²⁴ Make^f an altar out of dirt for me for sacrificing your burnt offerings, peace offerings, sheep and cattle. Everywhere I make my name remembered, I’ll come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you build a stone altar for me, don’t build^f it with cut stones. You’ll desecrate it if you use a tool on it. ²⁶ Don’t climb^f steps to my altar so you won’t show your nakedness on it.           Ex 20:22-26