The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5

1 And Moses called all Israel and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and rights which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them and keep them, to do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, all of us who are here alive this day. 4 The LORD spoke with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire 5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to show you the word of the LORD, for ye were afraid by reason of the fire and did not climb the mount), saying,

6 I AM thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of slavery.

7 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth. 9 Thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them, for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate me 10 and showing mercy unto thousands, to those that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him innocent that takes his name in vain.

12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God has commanded thee. 13 Six days thou shalt labour and do all thy work, 14 but the seventh day is the sabbath unto the LORD thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter nor thy manslave nor thy maidslave nor thine ox nor thine ass nor any animal of thine nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, that thy manslave and thy maidslave may rest as well as thou. 15 And remember that thou wast a slave in the land of Egypt and that the LORD thy God brought thee out of there with a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the LORD thy God has commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God has commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God gives thee.

17 Thou shalt not murder.

18 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

19 Thou shalt not steal.

20 Thou shalt not give false testimony against thy neighbour.

21 Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field or his manslave or his maidslave, his ox or his ass or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

22 These words the LORD spoke unto all your congregation in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice, and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me. 23 And it came to pass when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness and saw the mountain that burned with fire that ye came near unto me, even all the princes of your tribes and your elders; 24 and ye said, Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire; we have seen this day that God does talk with man, and he lives. 25 Now, therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. 26 For what is all flesh that it should hear the voice of the living God that speaks out of the midst of the fire, as we heard, and live? 27 Go thou near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say, and thou shalt tell us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

28 And the LORD heard the voice of your words when ye spoke unto me, and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken. 29 O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever! 30 Go say to them, Return to your tents. 31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments and the statutes and the rights, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to inherit. 32 Ye shall observe to do, therefore, as the LORD your God has commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you that ye may live and that it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye are to inherit.

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