Exodus 19:1-20:17

New International Version

At Mount Sinai

19 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt^(A)—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.^(B) ²After they set out from Rephidim,^(C) they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.^(D)

³Then Moses went up to God,^(E) and the Lord called^(F) to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,^(G) and how I carried you on eagles’ wings^(H) and brought you to myself.^(I) ⁵Now if you obey me fully^(J) and keep my covenant,^(K) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(L) Although the whole earth^(M) is mine, ⁶you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(N) and a holy nation.’^(O) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

⁷So Moses went back and summoned the elders^(P) of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.^(Q) ⁸The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”^(R) So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

⁹The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,^(S) so that the people will hear me speaking^(T) with you and will always put their trust^(U) in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

¹⁰And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate^(V) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes^(W) ¹¹and be ready by the third day,^(X) because on that day the Lord will come down^(Y) on Mount Sinai^(Z) in the sight of all the people. ¹²Put limits^(AA) for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. ¹³They are to be stoned^(AB) or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn^(AC) sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”^(AD)

¹⁴After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.^(AE) ¹⁵Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain^(AF) from sexual relations.”

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there was thunder^(AG) and lightning, with a thick cloud^(AH) over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.^(AI) Everyone in the camp trembled.^(AJ) ¹⁷Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.^(AK) ¹⁸Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,^(AL) because the Lord descended on it in fire.^(AM) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,^(AN) and the whole mountain^[b] trembled^(AO) violently. ¹⁹As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^(AP) of God answered^(AQ) him.^[c]

²⁰The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai^(AR) and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up ²¹and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see^(AS) the Lord and many of them perish.^(AT) ²²Even the priests, who approach^(AU) the Lord, must consecrate^(AV) themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”^(AW)

²³Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,^(AX) because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits^(AY) around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

²⁴The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron^(AZ) up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”^(BA)

²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments^(BB)

20 And God spoke^(BC) all these words:^(BD)

²“I am the Lord your God,^(BE) who brought you out^(BF) of Egypt,^(BG) out of the land of slavery.^(BH)

³“You shall have no other gods before^[d] me.^(BI)

⁴“You shall not make for yourself an image^(BJ) 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^(BK) them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,^(BL) punishing the children for the sin of the parents^(BM) to the third and fourth generation^(BN) of those who hate me, ⁶but showing love to a thousand^(BO) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.^(BP)

⁸“Remember the Sabbath^(BQ) day by keeping it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work,^(BR) ¹⁰but the seventh day is a sabbath^(BS) 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,^(BT) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested^(BU) on the seventh day.^(BV) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹²“Honor your father and your mother,^(BW) so that you may live long^(BX) in the land^(BY) the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³“You shall not murder.^(BZ)

¹⁴“You shall not commit adultery.^(CA)

¹⁵“You shall not steal.^(CB)

¹⁶“You shall not give false testimony^(CC) against your neighbor.^(CD)

¹⁷“You shall not covet^(CE) your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Footnotes

Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. ⁶You
Exodus 19:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint and all the people
Exodus 19:19 Or and God answered him with thunder
Exodus 20:3 Or besides

Deuteronomy 5

New International Version

The Ten Commandments^(A)

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws^(B) I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. ²The Lord our God made a covenant^(C) with us at Horeb.^(D) ³It was not with our ancestors^[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us,^(E) with all of us who are alive here today.^(F) ⁴The Lord spoke^(G) to you face to face^(H) out of the fire^(I) on the mountain. ⁵(At that time I stood between^(J) the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid^(K) of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

⁶“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt,^(L) out of the land of slavery.^(M)

⁷“You shall have no other gods before^[b] me.

⁸“You 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.^(N) ⁹You 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^(O) to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,^(P) ¹⁰but showing love to a thousand^(Q) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.^(R)

¹¹“You shall not misuse the name^(S) of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.^(T)

¹²“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,^(U) as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹³Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴but the seventh day^(V) 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,^(W) nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.^(X) ¹⁵Remember that you were slaves^(Y) in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand^(Z) and an outstretched arm.^(AA) Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

¹⁶“Honor your father^(AB) and your mother,^(AC) as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long^(AD) and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹⁷“You shall not murder.^(AE)

¹⁸“You shall not commit adultery.^(AF)

¹⁹“You shall not steal.^(AG)

²⁰“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.^(AH)

²¹“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”^(AI)

²²These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(AJ) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(AK) and gave them to me.

²³When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(AL) came to me. ²⁴And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(AM) his glory and his majesty,^(AN) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^(AO) ²⁵But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^(AP) ²⁶For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^(AQ) ²⁷Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(AR) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(AS)

²⁸The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.^(AT) ²⁹Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me^(AU) and keep all my commands^(AV) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!^(AW)

³⁰“Go, tell them to return to their tents. ³¹But you stay here^(AX) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

³²So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you;^(AY) do not turn aside to the right or to the left.^(AZ) ³³Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you,^(BA) so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days^(BB) in the land that you will possess.