Deuteronomy 5

1 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them.2 Jehovah our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.3 Jehovah made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.4 Jehovah spake with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,5 (I stood between Jehovah and you at that time, to show you the word of Jehovah: for ye were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

6 I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor 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:9 thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me;10 and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain: for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Jehovah thy God commanded thee.13 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;14 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou.15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: therefore Jehovah thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honor thy father and thy mother, as Jehovah thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.

21 Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor’s.

22 These words Jehovah spake unto all your assembly 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 upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me.23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;24 and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed 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 doth speak with man, and he liveth.25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die.26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?27 Go thou near, and hear all that Jehovah our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that Jehovah our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

28 And Jehovah heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and Jehovah 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 Oh 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 ye to your tents.31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as Jehovah your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.33 Ye shall walk in all the way which Jehovah your God hath 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 shall possess.

Deuteronomy 5

The Opening Exhortation

1 Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them:t “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.3 Het did not make this covenant with our ancestorst but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now.4 The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire.

5 (I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the messaget of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:

The Ten Commandments

6 “I am the Lord your God, he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery.7 You must not have any other godst besides me.t8 You must not make for yourself an imaget of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath.t9 You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punisht the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who rejectt me,t10 but I show covenant faithfulnesst to the thousandsst who chooset me and keep my commandments.11 You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes,t for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way.t12 Be careful to observet the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you.13 You are to work and do all your tasks in six days,14 but the seventh day is the Sabbatht of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the foreigner who lives with you,t so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest.15 Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power.t That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observet the Sabbath day.16 Honort your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that het is about to give you.17 You must not murder.t18 You must not commit adultery.19 You must not steal.20 You must not offer false testimony against another.t

21 You must not desiret another man’st wife, nor should you crave hist house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.”t

The Narrative of the Sinai Revelation and Israel’s Response

22 The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said.t Then he inscribed the wordst on two stone tablets and gave them to me.23 Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me.24 You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great gloryt and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to ust that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living.25 But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us! If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die!26 Who is there from the entire human racet who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived?27 You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever het says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”28 When the Lord heard you speaking to me, het said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you – they have spoken well.29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obeyt all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.30 Go and tell them, ‘Return to your tents!’31 But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments,t statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.”t32 Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left!

33 Walk just as het has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live longt in the land you are going to possess.