The Ten Commandments
After leading Israel out of Egypt, Moses brought the people to Mount Sinai, where God appeared in thunder, lightning, and thick smoke, and spoke directly to them. He began by reminding them who he was: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
God then gave ten commandments to guide how his people would live. The first several centered on their relationship with God: worship no other gods, make no idols, do not misuse God's name, and keep the Sabbath day holy by resting from work. The rest centered on how to treat one another: honor your father and mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie about your neighbor, and do not covet what belongs to someone else.
When the people saw the thunder, lightning, and smoking mountain, they trembled with fear and kept their distance, begging Moses to speak to them himself instead of God speaking directly, "or we will die." Moses reassured them that God had come this way to test them, so that the fear of him would keep them from sinning.
Moses then drew near to the thick darkness where God was, and received further instructions -- including how to build a simple altar of earth or uncut stone, so the people could worship in a way that honored God rather than their own cleverness or pride.
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See the full scripture text this story is based on.
- 20:1And God spake all these words, saying,
- 20:2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- 20:3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
- 20:4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
- 20:5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
- 20:6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
- 20:7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
- 20:8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- 20:9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
- 20:10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
- 20:11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
- 20:12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
- 20:13Thou shalt not kill.
- 20:14Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- 20:15Thou shalt not steal.
- 20:16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
- 20:17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
- 20:18And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
- 20:19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
- 20:20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
- 20:21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
- 20:22And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
- 20:23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
- 20:24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
- 20:25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
- 20:26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
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