The Word Am I

The Fifth Book of Moses: Deuteronomy

Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 5 -

1
And Moses summoned all of Israel, and he said to them: “Listen, O Israel, to the ceremonies and judgments, which I am speaking to your ears on this day. Learn them, and fulfill them in deed.
2
The Lord our God formed a covenant with us at Horeb.
3
He did not make the covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are alive and in the present time.
4
He spoke to us face to face on the mountain, from the midst of fire.

The Ten Commandments

(Exodus 20:1–17)
5
I was the mediator, for I was in the middle between the Lord and you, at that time, to announce his words to you. For you were afraid of the fire, and so you did not ascend to the mountain. And he said:
6
‘I am the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.
7
You shall not have strange gods in my sight.
8
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor the likeness of anything, which is in heaven above, or on earth below, or which abides in the waters under the earth.
9
You shall not adore and you shall not worship these things. For I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, repaying the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me,
10
and acting with mercy in thousands of ways to those who love me and keep my precepts.
11
You shall not use the name of the Lord your God in vain. For he will not go unpunished who takes up his name over an unimportant matter.
12
Observe the day of the Sabbath, so that you may sanctify it, just as the Lord your God has instructed you.
13
For six days, you shall labor and do all your work.
14
The seventh is the day of the Sabbath, that is, the rest of the Lord your God. You shall not do any work in it, nor shall your son, nor daughter, nor man servant, nor woman servant, nor ox, nor donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor the sojourner who is within your gates, so that your men and woman servants may rest, just as you do.
15
Remember that you also were servants in Egypt, and the Lord your God led you away from that place with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Because of this, he has instructed you so that you would observe the Sabbath day.
16
Honor your father and mother, just as the Lord your God has instructed you, so that you may live a long time, and so that it may be well with you in the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.
17
You shall not murder.
18
And you shall not commit adultery.
19
And you shall not commit theft.
20
Neither shall you speak false testimony against your neighbor.
21
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his man servant, nor his woman servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything out of all that is his.’

Moses Intercedes for the People

(Exodus 20:18–21; Hebrews 12:18–29)
22
The Lord spoke these words to the entire multitude of you on the mountain, from the midst of the fire and the cloud and the darkness, with a loud voice, adding nothing more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone, which he delivered to me.
23
Then, after you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and you saw the mountain burning, you approached me, all you leaders of the tribes and those greater by birth. And you said:
24
‘Behold, the Lord our God has revealed to us his majesty and his greatness. We have heard his voice from the midst of fire, and we have proven today that, though God is speaking with man, man has lived.
25
Therefore, why should we die, and why should this very great fire devour us? For if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we will die.
26
What is all flesh, that it would hear the voice of the living God, who speaks from the midst of fire, just as we have heard it, and be able to live?
27
Instead, you should approach and listen to all the things that the Lord our God will say to you. And you will speak to us, and we will listen and do these things.’
28
But when the Lord had heard this, he said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they spoke to you. All this, they have spoken well.
29
Who will grant to them to have such a mind, so that they may fear me, and may keep all my commandments at all times, so that it may be well with them and with their sons forever?
30
Go and say to them: Return to your tents.
31
But as for you, stand here with me, and I will speak to you all my commandments and ceremonies, as well as judgments. These, you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land, which I will give to them as a possession.
32
And so, keep and do the things which the Lord God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left.
33
For you shall walk in the way that the Lord your God has instructed, so that you may live, and it may be well with you, and your days may be extended in the land of your possession.’ ”
1
Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, “Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears today, that you may learn them, and observe to do them.”
2
The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3
The LORD didn’t make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive today.
4
The LORD spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the middle of the fire,

The Ten Commandments

(Exodus 20:1–17)
5
(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to show you the LORD’s word; for you were afraid because of the fire, and didn’t go up onto the mountain) saying,
6
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
7
You shall have no other gods before me.
8
You shall not make a carved image for yourselfany likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
9
You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me
10
and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God;(a) for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.
12
Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.
13
You shall labor six days, and do all your work;
14
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, in which you shall not do any workneither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
15
You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
17
You shall not murder.
18
You shall not commit adultery.
19
You shall not steal.
20
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
21
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Moses Intercedes for the People

(Exodus 20:18–21; Hebrews 12:18–29)
22
The LORD spoke these words to all your assembly on the mountain out of the middle of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice. He added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me.
23
When you heard the voice out of the middle of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24
and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the middle of the fire. We have seen today that God does speak with man, and he lives.
25
Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the LORD our God’s voice any more, then we shall die.
26
For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27
Go near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say, and tell us all that the LORD our God tells you; and we will hear it, and do it.”
28
The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me; and the LORD said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have well said all that they have spoken.
29
Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!
30
Go tell them, ‘Return to your tents.’
31
But as for you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandments, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.”
32
You shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn away to the right hand or to the left.
33
You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

Footnotes

(a)5:11 or, You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain;