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Exodus 20
New International Version

### 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 on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship(J) them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,(K) punishing the children for the sin of the parents(L) to the third and fourth generation(M) of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand(N) 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.(O)

8 “Remember the Sabbath(P) day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,(Q) 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath(R) to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,(S) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested(T) on the seventh day.(U) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother,(V) so that you may live long(W) in the land(X) the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.(Y)

14 “You shall not commit adultery.(Z)

15 “You shall not steal.(AA)

16 “You shall not give false testimony(AB) against your neighbor.(AC)

17 “You shall not covet(AD) your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet(AE) and saw the mountain in smoke,(AF) they trembled with fear.(AG) They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak(AH) to us or we will die.”(AI)

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.(AJ) God has come to test(AK) you, so that the fear(AL) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”(AM)

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness(AN) where God was.

### Idols and Altars

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:(AO) 23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me;(AP) do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.(AQ)

24 “‘Make an altar(AR) of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings(AS) and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name(AT) to be honored, I will come to you and bless(AU) 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(AV) on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts(AW) may be exposed.’

#### Footnotes

1. Exodus 20:3 Or besides

#### Cross references

1. Exodus 20:1 : 20:1-17pp — Dt 5:6-21
2. Exodus 20:1 : Dt 10:4
3. Exodus 20:1 : Ne 9:13; Ps 119:9; 147:19; Mal 4:4
4. Exodus 20:2 : S Ge 17:7; Ex 16:12; Lev 19:2; 20:7; Isa 43:3; Eze 20:19
5. Exodus 20:2 : S Ge 15:7
6. Exodus 20:2 : S Ex 6:6
7. Exodus 20:2 : Ex 13:3; Eze 20:6
8. Exodus 20:3 : ver 23; Ex 34:14; Dt 6:14; 13:10; 2Ki 17:35; Ps 44:20; 81:9; Jer 1:16; 7:6, 9; 11:13; 19:4; 25:6; 35:15
9. Exodus 20:4 : ver 5, 23; Ex 32:8; 34:17; Lev 19:4; 26:1; Dt 4:15-19, 23; 27:15; 2Sa 7:22; 1Ki 14:9; 2Ki 17:12; Isa 40:19; 42:8; 44:9
10. Exodus 20:5 : Ex 23:13, 24; Jos 23:7; Jdg 6:10; 2Ki 17:35; Isa 44:15, 17, 19; 46:6
11. Exodus 20:5 : Ex 34:14; Dt 4:24; Jos 24:19; Na 1:2
12. Exodus 20:5 : S Ge 9:25; S Lev 26:39
13. Exodus 20:5 : Ex 34:7; Nu 14:18; Jer 32:18
14. Exodus 20:6 : Ex 34:7; Nu 14:18; Dt 7:9; Jer 32:18; Lk 1:50; Ro 11:28
15. Exodus 20:7 : Ex 22:28; Lev 18:21; 19:12; 22:2; 24:11, 16; Dt 6:13; 10:20; Job 2:5, 9; Ps 63:11; Isa 8:21; Eze 20:39; 39:7; S Mt 5:33
16. Exodus 20:8 : S Ex 16:23; 31:13-16; 35:3; Lev 19:3, 30; 26:2; Isa 56:2; Jer 17:21-27; Eze 22:8
17. Exodus 20:9 : Ex 23:12; 31:13-17; 34:21; 35:2-3; Lev 23:3; Lk 13:14
18. Exodus 20:10 : S Ge 2:3; Ex 31:14; Lev 23:38; Nu 28:9; Isa 56:2; Eze 20:12, 20
19. Exodus 20:11 : Ge 1:3-2:1
20. Exodus 20:11 : S Ge 2:2
21. Exodus 20:11 : Ex 31:17; Heb 4:4
22. Exodus 20:12 : S Ge 31:35; S Dt 5:16; Mt 15:4*; 19:19*; Mk 7:10*; 10:19*; Lk 18:20*; Eph 6:2
23. Exodus 20:12 : Dt 6:2; Eph 6:3
24. Exodus 20:12 : Dt 11:9; 25:15; Jer 35:7
25. Exodus 20:13 : S Ge 4:23; Mt 5:21*; 19:18*; Mk 10:19*; Lk 18:20*; Ro 13:9*; Jas 2:11*
26. Exodus 20:14 : Lev 18:20; 20:10; Nu 5:12, 13, 29; Pr 6:29, 32; Mt 5:27*; 19:18*; Mk 10:19*; Lk 18:20*; Ro 13:9*; Jas 2:11*
27. Exodus 20:15 : Lev 19:11, 13; Eze 18:7; Mt 19:18*; Mk 10:19*; Lk 18:20*; Ro 13:9*
28. Exodus 20:16 : Lev 19:11; Jer 9:3, 5
29. Exodus 20:16 : Ex 23:1, 7; Lev 19:18; Ps 50:20; 101:5; 119:29; Mt 19:18*; Mk 10:19; Lk 3:14*; 18:20*
30. Exodus 20:17 : Lk 12:15; Ro 7:7*; 13:9*; Eph 5:3; Heb 13:5
31. Exodus 20:18 : Ex 19:16-19; Dt 4:36; Isa 58:1; Jer 6:17; Eze 33:3; Heb 12:18-19; Rev 1:10
32. Exodus 20:18 : S Ex 19:18
33. Exodus 20:18 : S Ge 3:10; S Ex 14:31; S 19:16
34. Exodus 20:19 : Job 37:4, 5; 40:9; Ps 29:3-4
35. Exodus 20:19 : Dt 5:5, 23-27; 18:16; Gal 3:19
36. Exodus 20:20 : S Ge 15:1
37. Exodus 20:20 : S Ge 22:1
38. Exodus 20:20 : Dt 4:10; 6:2, 24; 10:12; Ps 111:10; 128:1; Pr 1:7; Ecc 12:13; Isa 8:13
39. Exodus 20:20 : Job 1:8; 2:3; 28:28; Pr 3:7; 8:13; 14:16; 16:6
40. Exodus 20:21 : S Ex 19:9; Dt 5:22; Ps 18:9; 68:4; 97:2; Isa 19:1
41. Exodus 20:22 : Dt 5:24, 26; Ne 9:13
42. Exodus 20:23 : S ver 3
43. Exodus 20:23 : Ex 22:20; 32:4, 8, 31; 34:17; Dt 29:17-18; Ne 9:18
44. Exodus 20:24 : Ex 27:1; 40:29; Nu 16:38; Dt 27:5; Jos 8:30; 2Ki 16:14; 2Ch 4:1; Ezr 3:2; Eze 43:13
45. Exodus 20:24 : S Ge 8:20; S Ex 18:12
46. Exodus 20:24 : Dt 12:5; 16:6, 11; 26:2; 1Ki 9:3; 2Ki 21:4, 7; 2Ch 6:6; 12:13; Ezr 6:12
47. Exodus 20:24 : S Ge 12:2; 22:17
48. Exodus 20:25 : Jos 8:31; 1Ki 6:7
49. Exodus 20:26 : Eze 43:17

New International Version (NIV)

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