Moses led the Israelites forward
from the Red Sea until they came to the wilderness of Sinai, and
there the Israelites camped before the mountain.
Moses went up into the presence of God, and God called to him from
the mountain and said, "Tell the Israelites: 'You have seen what I
did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought
you to myself. Now therefore, if you will listen to my voice and
keep your solemn agreement with me, you shall be my own treasure
taken from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. You shall
be a nation of priests, a people devoted to my service.'"
So Moses called together the leaders of the people and told them all
these words, as God had commanded him. And all the people answered
together, "We will do all that God has commanded."
When Moses told God the answer of the people, God said to him, "See,
I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I
speak and may always believe in you." And God said to Moses, "Go to
the people and keep them pure to-day and to-morrow, and let them
wash their garments and be ready on the third day, for on the third
day I will come down on Mount Sinai within sight of all the people."
On the third day, when morning came, there were thunderings and
lightnings and a thick cloud rested upon the mountain, and a very
loud trumpet blast sounded, so that all the people who were in the
camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet
God; and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was
entirely covered with smoke, because God came down upon it in fire.
And from it smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the
entire mountain shook violently.
Then God spoke all these words: "I am God your God who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, from a place where you were slaves.
"Thou Shalt Have no other Gods except Me.
"Thou Shalt Not Make for Thyself a Graven Image, nor any image of
anything that is in the heavens above, on the earth beneath, or in
the waters that are under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down before
them, nor serve them, for I God thy God am a jealous God visiting
the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth
generation, but showing acts of kindness to the thousandth
generation of those who love me and keep my commands.
"Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of God Thy God in Vain, for God will
not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain.
"Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep It Holy. Six days shalt thou labor
and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of God thy
God. In it thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, nor thy male servant, nor thy female servant, nor
thy cattle, nor the guest who is with thee, for in six days God made
the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, and
rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day and
made it holy.
"Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother, that thou mayest live long on the
land which God thy God giveth thee.
"Thou Shalt Not Murder.
"Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.
"Thou Shalt Not Steal.
"Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor.
"Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's House; thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor
his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that belongs to thy neighbor."
Then God said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accord with
these words I have made a solemn agreement with you and with
Israel."