Exodus 20 The Voice (VOICE)

Exodus 20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20 The Message (MSG)

20 Then God began to speak directly to all the people. Until now God has dealt only with Moses on behalf of His people; at Mount Sinai, He turns to address them directly in order to express the core of His covenant obligations. He begins by reminding them of all He has done for them. His miraculous deeds in liberating the Hebrew slaves and providing for them in the desert become the basis of this new relationship. He then proceeds to lay out the Ten Directives that will define and shape their lives together. The first four Directives concern their duties to know and worship the one True God. The last six pertain to how Israel is to live with one another in a covenant-based society. Properly understood, all the other teachings, prescriptions, and directives that come in later chapters derive from these Ten Directives. Eternal One: 2 I am the Eternal your God. I led you out of Egypt and liberated you from lives of slavery and oppression. 3 You are not to serve any other gods before Me.

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to

20 1-2 God spoke all these words: I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery. 3 No other gods, only me. 4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Dont bow down to them and dont serve them because Iam God, your God, and Im a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But Im unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments. 7 No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God wont put up with the irreverent use of his name. 8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Dont do any worknot you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant,

4 You are not to make any idol or image of other gods. In fact, you are not to make an image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. 5 You are not to bow down and serve any image, for I, the Eternal your God, am a jealous God. As for those who are not loyal to Me, their children will endure the consequences of their sins for three or four generations. 6 But for those who love Me and keep My directives, their children will experience My loyal love for a thousand generations. 7 You are not to use My name for your own idle purposes, for the Eternal will punish anyone who treats His name as anything less than sacred. 8 You and your family are to remember the Sabbath Day; set it apart, and keep it holy. 9 You have six days to do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is to be different; it is the Sabbath of the Eternal your God. Keep it holy by not doing any work not you, your sons, your daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, or any outsiders living among you. 11 For the Eternal made the heavens above, the earth below, the seas, and all the creatures in them in six days. Then, on the seventh day, He rested. That is why He blessed the Sabbath Day and made it sacred.

the Lord your God; you shall not do any workyou, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder.[c]

nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day. 12 Honor your father and mother so that youll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you. 13 No murder. 14 No adultery. 15 No stealing.

14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbors house; you shall not covet your neighbors wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. 18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid[d] and trembled and stood at a distance,19 and said to Moses, You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die. 20 Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test

16 No lies about your neighbor. 17 No lusting after your neighbors houseor wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Dont set your heart on anything that is your neighbors. 18-19 All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraidthey pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, You speak to us and well listen, but dont have God speak to us or well die. 20 Moses spoke to the people: Dont be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you wont sin.

12 You are to honor your father and mother. If you do, you and your children will live long and well in the land the Eternal your God has promised to give you.

22-26 God said to Moses, Give this Message to the The Law concerning the Altar People of Israel: Youve 13 You are not to murder. experienced firsthand how I 22 The Lord said to Moses: spoke with you from Heaven. 14 You are not to commit Thus you shall say to the Dont make gods of silver and adultery. Israelites: You have seen for gods of gold and then set yourselves that I spoke with them alongside me. Make me 15 You are not to take what is you from heaven. 23 You an earthen Altar. Sacrifice not yours. shall not make gods of silver your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, alongside me, nor shall you your Peace-Offerings, your 16 You are not to give false make for yourselves gods of sheep, and your cattle on it. testimony against your gold. 24 You need make for Every place where I cause neighbor. me only an altar of earth and my name to be honored in sacrifice on it your burnt your worship, Ill be there 17 You are not to covet what offerings and your offerings of myself and bless you. If you your neighbor has or set your well-being, your sheep and use stones to make my Altar, heart on getting his house, your oxen; in every place dont use dressed stones. If his wife, his male or female where I cause my name to be you use a chisel on the servants, his ox or donkey, or remembered I will come to stones youll profane the anything else that belongs to you and bless you. 25 But if Altar. Dont use steps to climb your neighbor. you make for me an altar of to my Altar because that will stone, do not build it of hewn expose your nakedness. 18 As all the people stones; for if you use a chisel witnessed the signs of Gods upon it you profane it.26 You The Message (MSG) presencethe blast of the shall not go up by steps to my rams horn, altar, so that your nakedness the roaring thunder, the may not be exposed on it. flashing lightning, and the smoke-covered mountain Footnotes:Exodus they shook with fear and 20:3 Or besidesExodus astonishment and wisely kept 20:6 Or to their distance. thousands Or kill Sam Gk Syr Vg: MT they saw Israelites (to Moses): 19 We are afraid to have God speak directly to us; we are certain that we will die. You speak to us instead; we promise to listen. Moses: 20 Dont be afraid. These powerful manifestations are Gods way of instillingawe and fear in

you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin. 21 Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

21 The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

you so that you will not sin; He is testing you for your own good. 21 But everyone remained far away from the mountain as Moses began moving toward the thick, dark cloud where God was. Eternal One (to Moses): 22 This is what I want you to tell the people of Israel: You yourselves witnessed that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 It is essential that you not make any idols to rival Me. Do not make any idols out of silver or gold for yourselves! 24 Take earth and build an altar to Me and sacrifice all of your burnt offerings and peace offerings there. Offer Me the best of your sheep and oxen. Wherever I choose for My name to be remembered, I will come to you and shower blessings upon you. 25 But if you decide to build an altar out of stones for Me, useonly natural stones, not hand-cut stones, because any attempt to shape them with your tools will desecrate the altar. 26 Also, do not approach My altar by walking up steps, for you might profane the altar by exposing your nakedness. The Voice (VOICE)