Exodus 20

1God spoke all these words, saying.

2I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

3Have no other gods before me.

4You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth.

5Do not bow down to them or serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me.

6and showing favor to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

7You shall not bear the name of Yahweh your God falsely, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished whoever bears his name falsely.

8Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.

9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work.

10But the seventh day is a sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work—you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maidservant, your livestock, your sojourner who is within your gates.

11For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land that Yahweh your God gives you.

13Do not murder.

14Do not commit adultery.

15Do not steal.

16You shall not testify against your neighbor as a false witness.

17Do not covet your fellow's house. Do not covet your fellow's wife, nor his bondservant, nor his bondmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that belongs to your fellow.

18All the people saw the thunderclaps, the lightning flashes, the trumpet blast, and the smoking mountain, and trembled and stood at a distance when they saw it.

19They said to Moses, "You speak with us and we will hear, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die."

20Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you and for his fear to be before you, lest you sin."

21The people stood at a distance, but Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

22Yahweh said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven.'"

23Do not make gods of silver beside me, nor gods of gold for yourselves.

24You shall make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

25If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it of hewn stones, for if you lift your tool upon it, you have defiled it.

26Do not go up by steps to my altar, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.