The commandments at Sinai
1Then God spoke all these words: 2“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3You shall have no other gods before me. 4You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of anything in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ sin on the children, to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name. 8Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. On it you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the foreigner residing in your towns. 11For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, and on the seventh day he rested. That is why Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. 12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land Yahweh your God is giving you. 13You shall not murder. 14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal. 16You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 18All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain smoking, and when they saw it they trembled and stood at a distance. 19They said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come only to test you, and so that the fear of him will remain before you, to keep you from sinning.” 21So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
The law of the altar
22Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23Do not make gods of silver alongside me, and do not make for yourselves gods of gold. 24Make an altar of earth for me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and 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 me an altar of stones, do not build it of cut stones, for if you use a chisel on it, you will profane it. 26Do not go up to my altar by steps, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.
