Exodus 20 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

20 Then God spoke all these words:

2 I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.

4 You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness 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 down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,(A)

6 But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

8 [Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God).

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes].

12 Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you.

13 You shall not commit murder.

14 You shall not commit [a]adultery.(B)

15 You shall not steal.(C)

16 You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor.(D)

17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.(E)

18 Now all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, and as [they] looked they trembled with fear and fell back and stood afar off.

19 And they said to Moses, You speak to us and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die.

20 And Moses said to the people, Fear not; for God has come to prove you, so that the [reverential] fear of Him may be before you, that you may not sin.

21 And the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

22 And the Lord said to Moses, Thus shall you say to the Israelites, You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.

23 You shall not make [gods to share] with Me [My glory and your worship]; gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

24 An altar of earth you shall make to Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name and cause it to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

25 And if you will make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone, for if you lift up a tool upon it you have polluted it.

26 Neither shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness be not exposed upon it.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 20:14 Observe here the expansion of the meaning of the seventh commandment in many catechisms to include whoredom in all its forms, as well as unchastity [premarital relations, sexual impurity, and lustful desire under whatever name] (J.P. Lange, A Commentary). Not only is adultery forbidden here, but also fornication and all kinds of mental and sensual uncleanness. All impure books, songs, pictures, etc., which tend to inflame and debauch the mind are against this law (Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible with A Commentary).

Cross references

  1. Exodus 20:5 : Isa. 42:8; 48:11.
  2. Exodus 20:14 : Prov. 6:25, 26; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:24; Eph. 5:3.
  3. Exodus 20:15 : Prov. 11:1; 16:8; 21:6; 22:16; Jer. 17:11; Mal. 3:8.
  4. Exodus 20:16 : Exod. 23:1; Prov. 19:9; 24:28.
  5. Exodus 20:17 : Luke 12:15; Col. 3:5.

You Might Also Like:

Exodus 20 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

20 `And God speaketh all these words, saying, 2 I [am] Jehovah thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants. 3 `Thou hast no other Gods before Me. 4 `Thou dost not make to thyself a graven image, or any likeness which [is] in the heavens above, or which [is] in...
Read More

Exodus 20 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

20 And the Lord spake all these words, 2 I am thy Lord God, that led thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servage. (I am the Lord thy God, who led thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude, or of slavery.) 3 Thou shalt not have alien gods before me. (Thou shalt not have ...
Read More

Exodus 20 - World English Bible (WEB)

20 God[a] spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am Yahweh 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...
Read More

Exodus 20 - The Voice (VOICE)

20 Then God began to speak directly to all the people. Until now God has dealt only with Moses on behalf of His people; at Mount Sinai, He turns to address them directly in order to express the core of His covenant obligations. He begins by reminding them of all He has done for them. His miraculous ...
Read More

Exodus 20 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Ten Words20 Then God spoke all these words saying, 2 “I am Adonai 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 Do not make for yourself a graven image[a], or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on t...
Read More

Exodus 20 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Ten Commandments20 And God spoke all these words, saying,[a] 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[b] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in h...
Read More

Exodus 20 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Ten Commandments20 And God 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[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heav...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Ten Commandments20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Ten Commandments20 Then God spoke all these words,(A)2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;(B)3 you shall have no other gods before[a] me.(C)4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven ab...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community20 Then God gave the people all these instructions[a]: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me. 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New Life Version (NLV)

God’s Ten Great Laws20 Then God 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 where you were servants. 3 “Have no gods other than Me. 4 “Do not make for yourselves a god to look like anything that is in heaven above or on the ea...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Ten Commandments(A)20 And God spoke (B)all these words, saying: 2 (C)“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, (D)out of the house of [a]bondage. 3 (E)“You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 (F)“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything t...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The Ten Commandments20 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[a] me. 4 ‘You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in t...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New International Version (NIV)

The Ten Commandments(A)20 And God spoke(B) all these words:(C) 2 “I am the Lord your God,(D) who brought you out(E) of Egypt,(F) out of the land of slavery.(G) 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.(H) 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image(I) in the form of anything in heaven above or o...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

God Gives His People the Ten Commandments20 Here are all the words God spoke. He said, 2 “I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves. 3 “Do not put any other gods in place of me. 4 “Do not make for yourself statues of gods that look like anything in th...
Read More

Exodus 20 - New English Translation (NET)

The Decalogue20 [a] God spoke all these words:[b] 2 “I,[c] the Lord, am your God,[d] who brought you[e] from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.[f] 3 “You shall have no[g] other gods before me.[h] 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image[i] or any likeness[j] of anything[k] that i...
Read More