The Ten Commandments

 

The Law Was Given Through Moses: Grace and Truth Came Through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

These are the commandments which God gave to man to guide him to happiness in this life and in the next:

I. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.
Commands: Faith, hope, love, and worship of God; reverence for holy things; prayer.
Forbids: Idolatry, superstition, spiritism, tempting God, sacrilege, attendance at false worship.

II. THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.
Commands: Reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.
Forbids: Blasphemy, the irreverent use of God’s name, speaking disrespectfully of holy things, false oaths, and the breaking of vows.

III. REMEMBER THAT THOU KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.
Commands: Going to church on Sundays and holy days.
Forbids: Missing church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work; public buying and selling; court trials.

IV. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.
Commands: Love, respect, obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.
Forbids: Hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect, disobedience.

V. THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
Commands: Safeguarding of one’s own life and bodily welfare and that of others.
Forbids: Unjust killing, suicide, abortion, sterilization, dueling, endangering life and limb of self or others.

VI. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
Commands: Chastity in word and deed.
Forbids: Obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.

VII. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
Commands:  Respect for the property and rights of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public officials.
Forbids: Theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; violation of contract.

VIII. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
Commands:  Truthfulness, respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.
Forbids: Lying, injury to the good name of others, slander, talebearing, rash judgment, contemptuous speech, and the violation of secrecy.

IX. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.
Commands:  Purity in thought.
Forbids: Willful impure thoughts and desires.

X. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.
Commands:  Respect for the rights of others.
Forbids: The desire to take, to keep, or to damage the property of others.

Imprimatur: Walter J. Kellenberg
Bishop of Rockville Centre, N.Y.
June 6, 1971

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