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| "The Ten Commandments" John 1:17 "The Law was given through Moses; Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ." |
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
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 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.
