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Exodus 20 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community
Exo 20:1Then God gave the people all these instructions[fn]:
Exo 20:2“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
Exo 20:3“You must not have any other god but me.
Exo 20:4“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
Exo 20:5You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
Exo 20:6But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those[fn] who love me and obey my commands.
Exo 20:7“You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
Exo 20:8“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Exo 20:9You have six days each week for your ordinary work,
Exo 20:10but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you.
Exo 20:11For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exo 20:12“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Exo 20:13“You must not murder.
Exo 20:14“You must not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15“You must not steal.
Exo 20:16“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
Exo 20:17“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
Exo 20:18When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
Exo 20:19And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
Exo 20:20“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
Exo 20:21As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.
Proper Use of Altars
Exo 20:22And the LORD said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven.
Exo 20:23Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.
Exo 20:24“Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.
Exo 20:25If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.
Exo 20:26And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness.
NLT Footnotes
Hebrew all these words.
Hebrew for thousands of those.
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