Deuteronomy 5

The Ten Commandments Reviewed

1 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them.2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.4 The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.5 I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said:6 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.7 You shall have no other gods before Me.8 You shall not make for yourself a carved imageany 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 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,10 but showing mercy to thousands, to 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 the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by 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 has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.17 You shall not murder.18 You shall not commit adultery.19 You shall not steal.20 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.21 You shall not covet your neighbors wife; and you shall not desire your neighbors house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbors.22 These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

The People Afraid of Gods Presence

23 So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.24 And you said: Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still 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 anymore, then we shall die.26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?27 You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it. 28 Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken.29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!30 Go and say to them, Return to your tents.31 But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.32 Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.33 You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

DEUTERONOMY 5

The Ten Commandments

(Exodus 20.1-17)

1 Moses called together the people of Israel and said:
Today I am telling you the laws and teachings that you must follow, so listen carefully. 2 The [Lord] our God made an agreement with our nation at Mount Sinai.t 3 That agreement wasn't only witht our ancestors but with us, who are here today. 4 The [Lord] himself spoke to you out of the fire,

5 but you were afraid of the fire and refused to go up the mountain. So I spoke with the [Lord] for you, then I told you that he had said:

6 I am the [Lord] your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.

7 Do not worship any god except me.
8  t Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. 9 t Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the [Lord] your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me and worship idols, I will punish your families for three or four generations.

10 But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.

11  t Do not misuse my name.t I am the [Lord] your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.
12  t Show respect for the Sabbath Day—it belongs to me. 13 t You have six days when you can do your work, 14 but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work.

15 This special day of rest will remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from slavery in Egypt.

16  t Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you.

17  t Do not murder.

18  t Be faithful in marriage.

19  t Do not steal.

20  t Do not tell lies about others.

21  t Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person—not a house, a wife, a husband, a slave, an ox, a donkey, or anything else.

22  t When we were gathered at the mountain, the [Lord] spoke to us in a loud voice from the dark fiery cloud. The [Lord] gave us these commands, and only these. Then he wrote them on two flat stones and gave them to me.

The People Were Afraid

(Exodus 20.18-21)

Moses said to Israel:

24 and said:
Today the [Lord] our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them. 25 But we don't want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the [Lord]'s voice, we will die. 26 Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it?

27 Moses, go up close and listen to the [Lord]. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.

28 The [Lord] heard you and said:
Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve.

29 I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.
30 Now, tell them to return to their tents,

31 but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.

Moses said: