New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them!
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Moses called all Israel together. He said to them, Attention, Israel. Listen obediently to the rules and regulations I am delivering to your listening ears today. Learn them. Live them.
2 “The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai.
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God, our God, made a covenant with us at Horeb.
3 The LORD did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today.
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God didn't just make this covenant with our parents; he made it also with us, with all of us who are alive right now.
4 At the mountain the LORD spoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire.
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God spoke to you personally out of the fire on the mountain.
5 I stood as an intermediary between you and the LORD, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said:
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At the time I stood between God and you, to tell you what God said. You were afraid, remember, of the fire and wouldn't climb the mountain. He said:
6 “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
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I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves.
7 “You must not have any other god but me.
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No other gods, only me.
8 “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.
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No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim.
9 You 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.
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Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am God, your God, and I'm a most jealous God. I hold parents responsible for any sins they pass on to their children to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation.
10 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
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But I'm lovingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
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No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name.
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
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No working on the Sabbath; keep it holy just as God, your God, commanded you.
13 You have six days each week for your ordinary work,
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Work six days, doing everything you have to do,
14 but 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 oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do.
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but the seventh day is a Sabbath, a Rest Day - no work: not you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, your ox, your donkey (or any of your animals), and not even the foreigner visiting your town. That way your servants and maids will get the same rest as you.
15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
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Don't ever forget that you were slaves in Egypt and God, your God, got you out of there in a powerful show of strength. That's why God, your God, commands you to observe the day of Sabbath rest.
16 “Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
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Respect your father and mother - God, your God, commands it! You'll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well.
17 “You must not murder.
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No murder.
18 “You must not commit adultery.
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No adultery.
19 “You must not steal.
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No stealing.
20 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
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No lies about your neighbor.
21 “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
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No coveting your neighbor's wife. And no lusting for his house, field, servant, maid, ox, or donkey either - nothing that belongs to your neighbor!
22 “The LORD spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
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These are the words that God spoke to the whole congregation at the mountain. He spoke in a tremendous voice from the fire and cloud and dark mist. And that was it. No more words. Then he wrote them on two slabs of stone and gave them to me.
23 “But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me.
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As it turned out, when you heard the Voice out of that dark cloud and saw the mountain on fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your leaders,
24 They said, ‘Look, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live!
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and said,
25 But now, why should we risk death again? If the LORD our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire.
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But why risk it further? This huge fire will devour us if we stay around any longer. If we hear God's voice anymore, we'll die for sure.
26 Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?
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Has anyone ever known of anyone who has heard the Voice of God the way we have and lived to tell the story?
27 Go yourself and listen to what the LORD our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’
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"From now on, you go and listen to what God, our God, says and then tell us what God tells you. We'll listen and we'll do it."
28 “The LORD heard the request you made to me. And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right.
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God heard what you said to me and told me, "I've heard what the people said to you. They're right - good and true words.
29 Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.
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What I wouldn't give if they'd always feel this way, continuing to revere me and always keep all my commands; they'd have a good life forever, they and their children!
30 Go and tell them, “Return to your tents.”
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"Go ahead and tell them to go home to their tents.
31 But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”
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But you, you stay here with me so I can tell you every commandment and all the rules and regulations that you must teach them so they'll know how to live in the land that I'm giving them as their own."
32 So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail.
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So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don't veer off to the right or the left.
33 Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
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Walk straight down the road God commands so that you'll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you're about to possess.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.