Deuteronomy 5

And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

1Moses called all the people of Israel together. He said, "Listen, Israel. Today I am telling you God's rules and laws. Learn them. Then live by them."

2The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

2"The LORD our God made an agreement with us at the mountain called Horeb."

3The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

3"He did not make this agreement only with our grandparents long ago. He made it with us, everyone standing here alive today."

4The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,

4"The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain. His voice came out of the fire."

5(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

5"I stood between the LORD and you back then. I told you what the LORD said. You were afraid of the fire. So you did not go up the mountain. This is what God said:"

6I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

6"I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves."

7Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

7"Do not have any other gods besides me."

8Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

8"Do not carve a statue to worship. Do not make one shaped like anything in the sky, on the land, or in the water."

9Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

9"Do not bow down to them. Do not serve them. I am the LORD your God, and I am jealous. That means I will not share you with other gods. When people hate me, I punish their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren too."

10And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

10"But I show love to a thousand generations of people who love me and keep my commands."

11Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

11"Do not use the name of the LORD your God in an empty or careless way. The LORD will punish anyone who does that."

Note"Take the name in vain" means using God's name as if it meant nothing, like in a false promise.

12Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

12"Keep the Sabbath day special, as the LORD your God told you. The Sabbath is a day for resting."

13Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

13"Work for six days. Do all your jobs then."

14But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

14"The seventh day is a rest day for the LORD your God. Do no work on it. Not you, and not your son or daughter. Not the men or women who work for you. Not your ox or your donkey or any of your animals. Not even a visitor staying in your town. Your workers need rest just as much as you do."

15And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

15"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. The LORD your God reached out and brought you out with great power. That is why he told you to keep the Sabbath day."

16Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

16"Show honor to your father and your mother, as the LORD your God told you. Then you will live a long time. Things will go well for you in the land God is giving you."

17Thou shalt not kill.

17"Do not murder anyone."

NoteThe old English word here is "kill," but the Hebrew word means murder, not every kind of killing.

18Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

18"Do not break your marriage promise. Stay true to your husband or wife."

19Neither shalt thou steal.

19"Do not steal."

20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

20"Do not tell lies about another person."

21Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

21"Do not wish that your neighbor's wife were yours. Do not long to take his house or his field. Do not long to take his workers, his ox, or his donkey. Do not long for anything at all that belongs to him."

22These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

22"The LORD spoke these words to all of you at the mountain. His voice was loud. It came out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness. He said nothing more. He wrote the words on two flat stones and handed them to me."

Note"Two tables of stone" means two flat stone tablets, like two writing boards, not two pieces of furniture.

23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

23"You heard the voice come out of the darkness while the mountain burned with fire. Then the leaders of your tribes came to me. The elders came too. Elders were the older men who helped lead the people."

24And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

24"You said, 'The LORD our God has shown us how great and glorious he is. We heard his voice come out of the fire. Today we learned that God can speak to a person, and that person can still live.'"

25Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.

25"'But why should we die now? This huge fire will burn us up. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God again, we will die.'"

26For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

26"'Has anyone else ever heard the living God speak out of fire and lived? We have.'"

27Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

27"'You go near and listen to everything the LORD our God says. Then come and tell us. We will listen and we will obey.'"

28And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.

28"The LORD heard what you said to me. He told me, 'I heard what these people said to you. What they said is good.'"

29O that there were such an 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 for ever!

29"'I wish they always felt that way about me. I wish they would respect me and keep all my commands. Then things would go well for them and for their children forever.'"

30Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.

30"'Go and tell them to go back to their tents.'"

31But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.

31"'But you stay here with me. I will tell you all my commands, rules, and laws. Teach them to the people. They must live by them in the land I am giving them.'"

32Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

32So be careful to do what the LORD your God has told you. Do not turn away from it, to the right or to the left.

33Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

33Live the way the LORD your God told you to live. Then you will have life. Things will go well for you. You will stay a long time in the land that will be yours.