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The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 20 -

(Deuteronomy 5:6–21)
1
And the Lord spoke all these words:
2
“I am the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, out of the house of servitude.
3
You shall not have strange gods before me.
4
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor a likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on earth below, nor of those things which are in the waters under the earth.(a)
5
You shall not adore them, nor shall you worship them. I am the Lord your God: strong, zealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6
and showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my precepts.
7
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold harmless one who takes the name of the Lord his God falsely.
8
Remember that you are to sanctify the day of the Sabbath.
9
For six days, you will work and accomplish all your tasks.
10
But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. You shall not do any work in it: you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, your beast and the newcomer who is within your gates.
11
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all the things that are in them, and so he rested on the seventh day. For this reason, the Lord has blessed the day of the Sabbath and sanctified it.
12
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may have a long life upon the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.
13
You shall not murder.(b)
14
You shall not commit adultery.
15
You shall not steal.
16
You shall not speak false testimony against your neighbor.
17
You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; neither shall you desire his wife, nor male servant, nor female servant, nor ox, nor donkey, nor anything that is his.”

Moses Comforts the People

(Deuteronomy 5:22–33; Hebrews 12:18–29)
18
Then all the people considered the voices, and the lights, and the sound of the trumpet, and the smoking mountain. And being terrified and struck with fear, they stood at a distance,
19
saying to Moses: “Speak to us, and we will listen. Let not the Lord speak to us, lest perhaps we may die.”
20
And Moses said to the people: “Do not be afraid. For God came in order to test you, and so that the dread of him might be with you, and you would not sin.”
21
And the people stood far away. But Moses approached toward the mist, in which was God.

Idolatry Forbidden

(1 Corinthians 10:14–22)
22
Thereafter, the Lord said to Moses: “This you shall say to the sons of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
23
You shall not make gods of silver, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.
24
You shall make an altar from the earth for me, and you shall offer upon it your holocausts and peace-offerings, your sheep and oxen, in every place where the memory of my name shall be. I will come to you, and I will bless you.
25
And if you make an altar of stone for me, you shall not build it from cut stones; for if you lift up a tool over it, it will be defiled.
26
You shall not ascend by steps to my altar, lest your nakedness be revealed.”

Footnotes

(a)20:4 A graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing, etc:All such images, or likenesses, are forbidden by this commandment, as are made to be adored and served; according to that which immediately follows, you shall not adore them, nor serve them. That is, all such as are designed for idols or image-gods, or are worshipped with divine honour. But otherwise images, pictures, or representations, even in the house of God, and in the very sanctuary so far from being forbidden, are expressly authorized by the word of God. See Ex. 25:15, and etc.; chap. 38.7; Num. 21:8, 9; 1 Chron. or Paralip. 28:18, 19; 2 Chron. or Paralip. 3:10.(Challoner)
(b)20:13 The word ‘occides’ can refer to killing, or more specifically to murdering. The ideal is to have a society where there is no killing at all (even without killing in war, or in law enforcement, or in self-defense), but the minimum requirement of the commandment is not to murder.(Conte)
(Deuteronomy 5:6–21)
1
God(a) spoke all these words, saying,
2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3
“You shall have no other gods before me.
4
“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5
you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,
6
and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God,(b) for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.
8
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9
You shall labor six days, and do all your work,
10
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;
11
for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives 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, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Moses Comforts the People

(Deuteronomy 5:22–33; Hebrews 12:18–29)
18
All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.
19
They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”
20
Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.”
21
The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was.

Idolatry Forbidden

(1 Corinthians 10:14–22)
22
The LORD said to Moses, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
23
You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me.
24
You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you.
25
If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.
26
You shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.’

Footnotes

(a)20:1 After “God”, the Hebrew has the two letters “Aleph Tav” (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet), not as a word, but as a grammatical marker.
(b)20:7 or, You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
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