Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Moses and the Ten Commandments

From Hebrew scripture, the Book of Exodus.

Exodus, Chapter 19, Verses 16-25

It came to pass on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder claps and lightning flashes, and a thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very powerful blast of a shofar, and the entire nation that was in the camp shuddered. 17 Moses brought the people out toward God from the camp, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. 18 And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln, and the entire mountain quaked violently. 19 The sound of the shofar grew increasingly stronger; Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice.

20 The Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the peak of the mountain, and the Lord summoned Moses to the peak of the mountain, and Moses ascended. 21 The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people lest they break [their formation to go nearer] to the Lord, and many of them will fall. 22 And also, the priests who go near to the Lord shall prepare themselves, lest the Lord wreak destruction upon them."

23 And Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot ascend to Mount Sinai, for You warned us saying, Set boundaries for the mountain and sanctify it." 24 But the Lord said to him, "Go, descend, and [then] you shall ascend, and Aaron with you, but the priests and the populace shall not break [their formation] to ascend to the Lord, lest He wreak destruction upon them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and said [this] to them.

Exodus, Chapter 20, Verses 1-15

God spoke all these words, to respond:

2 "I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.

4 You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.

5 You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, 6 and [I] perform loving kindness to thousands [of generations], to those who love Me and to those who keep My commandments.

7 You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone who takes His name in vain.

8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.

9 Six days may you work and perform all your labor,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, your God; you shall perform no labor, neither you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your beast, nor your stranger who is in your cities.

11 For [in] six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.

12 Honor your father and your mother, in order that your days be lengthened on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.

13 You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

14 You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor."