The Wilderness Years

Jehovah our God made with us a covenant in Horeb;

not with our fathers hath Jehovah made this covenant, but with us; we--these--here to-day--all of us alive.

Face to face hath Jehovah spoken with you, in the mount, out of the midst of the fire;

I am standing between Jehovah and you, at that time, to declare to you the word of Jehovah, for ye have been afraid from the presence of the fire, and ye have not gone up into the mount; saying:

`I Jehovah am thy God, who hath brought thee out from the land of Egypt, from a house of servants.

`Thou hast no other gods in My presence.

`Thou dost not make to thee a graven image, any similitude which is in the heavens above, and which is in the earth beneath, and which is in the waters under the earth;

thou dost not bow thyself to them nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a zealous God, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on a third generation , and on a fourth, to those hating Me;

and doing kindness to thousands, to those loving Me, and to those keeping My commands.

`Thou dost not take up the Name of Jehovah thy God for a vain thing, for Jehovah doth not acquit him who taketh up His Name for a vain thing.

`Observe the day of the sabbath--to sanctify it, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;

six days thou dost labour, and hast done all thy work,

and the seventh day is a sabbath to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not do any work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and thine ox, and thine ass, and all thy cattle, and thy sojourner who is within thy gates; so that thy man-servant, and thy handmaid doth rest like thyself;

and thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God is bringing thee out thence by a strong hand, and by a stretched-out arm; therefore hath Jehovah thy God commanded thee to keep the day of the sabbath.

`Honour thy father and thy mother, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee, so that thy days are prolonged, and so that it is well with thee, on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee.

`Thou dost not murder.

`Thou dost not commit adultery.

`Thou dost not steal.

`Thou dost not answer against thy neighbour--a false testimony.

`Thou dost not desire thy neighbour's wife; nor dost thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, and his man-servant, and his handmaid, his ox, and his ass, and anything which is thy neighbour's.

`These words hath Jehovah spoken unto all your assembly, in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness--a great voice; and He hath not added, and He writeth them on two tables of stone, and giveth them unto me.

`And it cometh to pass as ye hear the voice out of the midst of the darkness, and of the mountain burning with fire, that ye come near unto me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders,

and say, Lo, Jehovah our God hath shewed us His honour, and His greatness; and His voice we have heard out of the midst of the fire; this day we have seen that God doth speak with man--and he hath lived.

`And, now, why do we die? for consume us doth this great fire--if we add to hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more--then we have died.

For who of all flesh is he who hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire like us--and doth live?