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Christian prayer

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments from the Bible, with the original text and its meaning.

  • 17 verses
  • About 1 minute to recite
  • From the Bible

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  1. 1

    וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֵ֛ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹֽר׃ ס

    And God spake all these words, saying,

  2. 2

    אָֽנֹכִ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃

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

  3. 3

    לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים עַל־פָּנָֽיַ׃

    Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

  4. 4

    לֹֽ֣א תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥ פֶ֨סֶל֙ וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר בַּשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ מִמַּ֔עַל וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּמַּ֖יִם מִתַּ֥חַת לָאָֽרֶץ׃

    Thou shalt not make unto 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 water under the earth:

  5. 5

    לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֺ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽי׃

    Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 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;

  6. 6

    וְעֹ֥שֶׂה חֶ֖סֶד לַאֲלָפִ֑ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽי׃ ס

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

  7. 7

    לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ פ

    Thou 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.

  8. 8

    זָכ֛וֹר אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת לְקַדְּשֽׁוֹ׃

    Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

  9. 9

    שֵׁ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ תַּֽעֲבֹ֔ד וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּֽךָ׃

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

  10. 10

    וְי֨וֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽ֣א־תַעֲשֶׂ֨ה כָל־מְלָאכָ֜ה אַתָּ֣ה ׀ וּבִנְךָֽ֣־וּבִתֶּ֗ךָ עַבְדְּךָ֤ וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ וּבְהֶמְתֶּ֔ךָ וְגֵרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃

    But 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, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

  11. 11

    כִּ֣י שֵֽׁשֶׁת־יָמִים֩ עָשָׂ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖נַח בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֗ן בֵּרַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וַֽיְקַדְּשֵֽׁהוּ׃ ס

    For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

  12. 12

    כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֨עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ ס

    Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

  13. 13

    לֹ֖א תִּרְצָֽח׃ ס

    Thou shalt not kill.

  14. 14

    לֹ֖א תִּנְאָֽף׃ ס

    Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  15. 15

    לֹ֖א תִּגְנֹֽב׃ ס

    Thou shalt not steal.

  16. 16

    לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃ ס

    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

  17. 17

    לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ פ

    Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

Wording: The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1611 (standard text of 1769). Copied word for word from the edition named here

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When it is prayed

Many Christians read or recite the Ten Commandments during worship, personal prayer and religious instruction. They are also used for reflection on one's conduct and preparation for confession in some Christian traditions. In the Christian tradition, they guide moral life in relation to God and other people.

  • Worship
  • Personal prayer
  • Religious instruction
  • Before confession

Where it comes from

The Ten Commandments come from the Bible and appear in Exodus and Deuteronomy. The biblical account presents them as commandments given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai for the people of Israel. Christians share these scriptures with the Jewish tradition, though traditions differ in how they group and number the commandments.

In the libraryThe King James Version of the BibleSee the book

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Questions about The Ten Commandments

What are the Ten Commandments about?

They set out duties toward God and other people, including worship, honoring parents, and prohibitions against killing, adultery, stealing and false witness.

How many verses are in this passage?

The passage shown here has 17 verses.

How long does it take to recite?

It takes about 1 minute to recite, depending on your pace.

Where do the Ten Commandments come from?

They come from the biblical books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. In the biblical account, God gives them to Moses for the people of Israel.

Why do Christian versions number the commandments differently?

Christian traditions divide the biblical wording into commandments in different ways. The differences concern how the commands are grouped, rather than a wholly different set of teachings.

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