Exodus 20 - Introduction

1 The ten Commandements.

18 The people are afraid.

20 Moses comforteth them.

22 Idolatrie is forbidden.

24 Of what sort the Altar should be.

1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 [Note: Deuteronomy 5:6; Psalms 81:10.] I am the Lord thy God, which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [Note: Hebrew: seruants.] bondage:

3 Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me.

4 [Note: Leviticus 26:1; Psalms 97:7.] Thou shalt not make vnto thee any grauen Image, or any likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the

[The tenne Commandements.]

water vnder the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe to them, nor serue them: For I the Lord thy God am a iealous God, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children, vnto the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate me:

6 And shewing mercy vnto thousands of them that loue mee, and keepe my Commandements.

7 [Note: Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 5:11; Matthew 5:33.] Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine: for the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse, that taketh his Name in vaine.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keepe it holy.

9 [Note: Exodus 23:12; Ezekiel 20:12; Luke 13:14.] Sixe dayes shalt thou labour, and doe all thy worke:

10 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not doe any worke, thou, nor thy sonne, nor thy daughter, thy man seruant, nor thy mayd seruant, nor thy cattell, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For [Note: Genesis 2:2.] in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seuenth day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and halowed it.

12 [Note: Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 15:4; Ephesians 6:2.] Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy dayes may bee long vpon the land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee.

13 [Note: Matthew 5:21.] Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steale.

16 Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour.

17 [Note: Romans 7:7.] Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife, nor his man seruant, nor his maid seruant, nor his oxe, nor his asse, nor any thing that is thy neighbours.

18 And [Note: Hebrews 12:18.] all the people saw the thundrings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountaine smoking: and when the people saw it, they remooued, and stood a farre off.

19 And they saide vnto Moses, [Note: Deuteronomy 5:24; Deuteronomy 18:16.] Speake thou with vs, and wee will heare: But let not God speake with vs, lest we die.

20 And Moses said vnto the people, Feare not: for God is come to prooue you, and that his feare may bee before your faces, that ye sinne not.

[Diuers lawes, and ordinances.]

21 And the people stood afarre off, and Moses drew neere vnto the thicke darkenes, where God was.

22 And the Lord said vnto Moses, Thus thou shalt say vnto the children of Israel, Yee haue seene that I haue talked with you from heauen.

23 Ye shall not make with me gods of siluer, neither shall ye make vnto you gods of gold.

24 An Altar of earth thou shalt make vnto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheepe, and thine oxen: In all places where I record my Name, I will come vnto thee, and I will blesse thee.

25 And [Note: Deuteronomy 27:5; Joshua 8:31.] if thou wilt make mee an Altar of stone, thou shalt not [Note: cf2\i Hebrew: build them with hewing.] build it of hewen stone: for if thou lift vp thy toole vpon it, thou hast polluted it.

26 Neither shalt thou goe vp by steps vnto mine Altar, that thy nakednesse be not discouered thereon.