Moses recalls the covenant at Horeb
1Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am speaking in your hearing today. Learn them, and be careful to do them. 2Yahweh our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3It was not with our fathers that Yahweh made this covenant, but with us — all of us who are alive here today. 4Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain, out of the fire. 5At that time I stood between Yahweh and you, to tell you the word of Yahweh, for you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said:
The Ten Words
6“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7You shall have no other gods before me. 8You shall not make for yourself a carved image, of any shape, of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. 9You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the iniquity of the fathers, to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 11You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name. 12Keep the Sabbath day, to treat it as holy, as Yahweh your God has commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work — you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the foreigner within your gates — so that your male and female servants may rest as you do. 15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why Yahweh your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 16Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and so that it may go well with you in the land Yahweh your God is giving you. 17You shall not murder. 18You shall not commit adultery. 19You shall not steal. 20You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 21You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, his field, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
The people’s fear, and Yahweh’s response
22Yahweh spoke these words to your whole assembly at the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, in a great voice — and he added nothing more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all the heads of your tribes and your elders came to me 24and said, “Yahweh our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak with a person and that person still live. 25But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of Yahweh our God any longer, we will die. 26For who among all flesh has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and lived? 27You go near and listen to everything Yahweh our God says. Then tell us everything Yahweh our God tells you, and we will listen and obey.” 28Yahweh heard your words when you spoke to me, and Yahweh said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they have said is right. 29If only they had such a heart — to fear me and keep all my commandments always — so that it would go well with them and their children forever! 30Go, tell them: Return to your tents. 31But you, stand here with me, and I will tell you the whole commandment — the statutes and ordinances — that you are to teach them, so that they may follow them in the land I am giving them to possess.” 32So be careful to do as Yahweh your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33Walk in the whole way Yahweh your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and it may go well with you, and you may live long in the land you are to possess.
