Two Weeks on the Old Testament
Reading #5: Exodus 20- The gift of the Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out
of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of
anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters
below.
5 You 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 fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate
me,
6 but showing love to a thousand [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.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day 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 manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the
alien within your gates.
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live
long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not
covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his
ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the
trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear.
They stayed at a distance
19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will
listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come
to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you
from sinning."
21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the
thick darkness where God was.
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: `You
have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:
23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for
yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
24 "`Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your
burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats
and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will
come to you and bless you.
25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with
dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.
26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be
exposed on it.'