Exodus 20 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Then God spoke all these words:

"I am Yahweh your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt — out of the place where you were enslaved.

"Don't have any other gods besides me.

"Don't make an idol for yourself — no carved image of anything in the sky above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth.

"Don't bow down to them or serve them, because I, Yahweh your God, am an exclusive God. I hold the consequences of the parents' failures against their children, down to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

"but I show undeserved kindness to thousands of generations of those who love me and keep my commands.

"Don't misuse the name of Yahweh your God, because Yahweh will not let anyone who misuses his name go without consequences.

"Remember the Sabbath day and set it apart as something special.

"You have six days to do all your work,

"but the seventh day is a Sabbath belonging to Yahweh your God. On that day, don't do any work — not you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your animals, or any outsider living in your towns.

"Because in six days Yahweh made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them, and then he rested on the seventh day. That's why Yahweh set the Sabbath day apart and made it special.

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you'll live a long life in the land Yahweh your God is giving you.

"Don't murder.

"Don't commit adultery.

"Don't steal.

"Don't give false testimony against your neighbor.

"Don't crave your neighbor's house. Don't crave your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

When the people experienced the thunder, the lightning flashes, the sound of the ram's horn, and the mountain covered in smoke, they trembled and kept their distance.

They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't let God speak to us directly or we'll die."

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you, so that an awareness of him will stay with you and keep you from failing him."

So the people stayed at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You've seen for yourselves that I spoke to you from the sky.

"Don't make any gods of silver or gold alongside me. Don't make them for yourselves.

"Make an altar of earth for me, and sacrifice your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on it — your sheep, goats, and cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be remembered, I'll come to you and I'll give you good things.

"If you make a stone altar for me, don't build it with cut stones, because using a chisel on it would defile it.

"And don't go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness isn't exposed on it."