The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20.1-17)1 Moses called together the people of Israel and said:
Today I am telling you the laws and teachings that you must follow, so listen carefully. 2 The Lord our God made an agreement with our nation at Mount Sinai. 3 That agreement wasn't only with our ancestors but with us, who are here today. 4 The Lord himself spoke to you out of the fire, 5 but you were afraid of the fire and refused to go up the mountain. So I spoke with the Lord for you, then I told you that he had said:
6 I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.
7 Do not worship any god except me.
8 Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. 9 Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the Lord your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me and worship idols, I will punish your families for three or four generations. 10 But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.
11 Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.
12 Show respect for the Sabbath Day—it belongs to me. 13 You have six days when you can do your work, 14 but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work. 15 This special day of rest will remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from slavery in Egypt.
16 Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you.
17 Do not murder.
18 Be faithful in marriage.
19 Do not steal.
20 Do not tell lies about others.
21 Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person—not a house, a wife, a husband, a slave, an ox, a donkey, or anything else.
22 When we were gathered at the mountain, the Lord spoke to us in a loud voice from the dark fiery cloud. The Lord gave us these commands, and only these. Then he wrote them on two flat stones and gave them to me.
The People Were Afraid
(Exodus 20.18-21)Moses said to Israel:
23 When fire blazed from the mountain, and you heard the voice coming from the darkness, your tribal leaders came to me 24 and said:
Today the Lord our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them. 25 But we don't want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the Lord's voice, we will die. 26 Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it? 27 Moses, go up close and listen to the Lord. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.
28 The Lord heard you and said:
Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. 29 I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.
30 Now, tell them to return to their tents, 31 but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.
Moses said:
32 Israel, you must carefully obey the Lord's commands. 33 Follow them, because they make a path that will lead to a long successful life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Milayo ili gumi
(Kufuluka 20:1-17)1 Mushe kadana Baiziraela bose kabadwa kati, “Hwililani milayo yandinoleba mu zebe dzenyu mu zhuba lino imwi Baiziraela mose, muyizwidiye mube ne njele kuyishinga. 2 Yahwe Ndzimu wedu bakathama tjidumano naswi mu Horebu. 3 Yahwe abazothama tjidumano itjetji na bobatategulu bedu, koga bakatjithama naswi iswi banotjila sangwenu mu zhuba lino. 4 Yahwe bakalebeleka namwi makalingisana pa dombo kudwa pakati pe moto, 5 imi ndili mile pakati kwa Yahwe namwi, ngoti makabe mutja ngekwe moto ngono mukasitathe dombo.” Yahwe bakabe beti,
6 “Ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ibo bakamudusa mu shango ye Egipiti mu ng'umba ye busungwa.” 7 “ ‘Musitongobe ne mimwe midzimu mbeli kwangu.’ ” 8 “ ‘Musitongozwithamila zwifano zwakabezhiwa kene ifano tje tjimwe tji kudzimu pezhugwi kene tje tjimwe tjimu shango pasi kene tjimu vula pasi kwe shango.’ ” 9 “Musitongozwikotamila kene kuli kuzwishingila ngoti imi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ndi Ndzimu una fupa, ndolobela bana matjinyo a botate babo kunoti mu tjizekugwana tje butatu ne tje bunna tjinondibenga, 10 koga ndolakidza ludo gusingazunguzike ku zwiwulu zwe banondida kakale belondolodza milayo yangu.”
11 “ ‘Usitongo danila zina la Yahwe Ndzimu uwo suli, ngoti Yahwe abatowontola asina nlandu iye unodanila zina labo suli. 12 Londolodza zhuba le Sabata kuliyengemadza sekwa wakalayiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu uwo. 13 Mu mazhuba ali kutathatu ushinge uwidze mishingo iyo, 14 koga zhuba le butendeka i Sabata la Yahwe Ndzimu uwo, mulili usitongo shinga nshingo kene uli upi, iwe kene nkololo uwo, kene nkololokadzi uwo, kene nlandalume uwo, kene nlandakadzi uwo, kene ngabe iyo, kene donki iyo, kene imwe ye ng'ombe dzidzo, kene ntaya unogala nawe, kuyita kuti nlandalume ne nlandakadzi uwo anyaluluke sawe. 15 Ukumbule kuti wakabe uli nlanda mu shango ye Egipiti, ngono Yahwe Ndzimu uwo bakakudusa nge tjiazha tjakasima nge luboko gwakatambunuka, ndizo Yahwe Ndzimu uwo bakakulaya kulondolodza zhuba le Sabata.’ ”
16 “Kudza tate babo na mmeyabo Yahwe Ndzimu uwo sekwabakakudwa kuti mazhuba awo abe malefu nekuti kukuyendile zubuyanana mu shango yaunopiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu uwo.”
17 “Usitongo bulaya nthu.
18 “Usitongo thama bupombgwe.
19 “Usitongo kwiba.
20 “Usitongo pa butendeki gwe manyepkhwa ngekwe mbakidzani uwo.
21 “Usitongo yemula nkadzi we mbakidzani nawe, kene kuli kuyemula ng'umba ye mbakidzani nawe, kene nnda uwe, kene nlandalume uwe, kene nlandakadzi uwe, kene ngabe iye, kene donki iye, kene tjimwe koga tje mbakidzani uwo.”
Lutjo gwe bathu
(Kufuluka 20:18-21)22 Matama iyawa akalebgwa ndi Yahwe ku gubungano lenyu mose pa dombo kudwa pakati kwe moto mu gole ne zhalima lakati zwititi, belebeleka nge hwi gulu ngono bakasitongo paphidza. Ngono bakaakwala mu zwileiti zwe mabgwe zwibili, ngono bakandipa izo. 23 Ngono makati muhwa hwi lidwa pakati kwe zhalima, dombo ilo lithuta nge moto, makazha pejo nami imwi misholo yose ye njudzi dzenyu ne bakulu benyu. 24 “Ngono mukabe muti, ‘Bonani, Yahwe Ndzimu wedu batilakidza tjedza tjabo ne bukulu gwabo kakale tahwa hwi labo lidwa pakati kwe moto, mu zhuba ilelino tabona Ndzimu ulebeleka ne nthu ngono nthu utjatjila zwe.’ ” 25 “ ‘Ngono ngwenu wali ini tingafa? Ngoti moto ihwoyu nkulukulu unowotitshwayila, ha tingadwilila tihwa hwi la Yahwe Ndzimu wedu towofa. 26 Ngoti ndiyani kene pakati kwe ludzi gwe nthu wakatongo hwa hwi le Ndzimu unotjila ulebeleka kudwa pakati kwe moto saswi sekwa takahwa ngono katjila? 27 Sedzela pejo uhwe kose kunowolebgwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wedu ube utibudza kose kunowolebgwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wedu kukuli, ngono towohwa ngono tikakuthama.’ ”
28 “Ngono Yahwe bakahwa matama enyu pamakabe mulebeleka nami, ngono Yahwe bakati kundili, ‘Ndahwa matama e bathu ibaba abaleba kukuli, baleba zubuyanana kose ikoku kwabaleba. 29 Kwakanaka ha babe begala bana nkumbulo wakajali misiyose, benditja kakale belondolodza milayo yangu kuti kubayendile zubuyanana ibo ne bana babo nge kusingapele.’ ” 30 Yenda uswike ubadwe uti, “Bgwililani ku mishasha yenyu.” 31 “Koga iwe ima ipapa nami ngono ndowokubudza milayo yose yawunowobadiya kuti bayishinge mu shango yandinobapa kuti bayithuwe.”
32 “Ndizo ibeni ne njele kushinga sekwa madwiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, musitongo pambukila ku luboko luji kene ku lumeshwe. 33 Muyende mu zila yamakadwiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu kuti ndizo mutjile ne kuti kumuyendile zubuyanana ne kuti mutjile tjibaka tjilefu mu shango yamunowothuwa.”