Old Testament · Exodus 19:16–20Exodus 20:1–21Exodus 31:18
The Ten Commandments — Bible Story for Kids
At Mount Sinai, God gave his people ten commandments to show them how to love him and one another.
This is a retelling for children, written by BibleKenya from the Bible passages shown on each picture. It is not a Bible translation.
God's people camped by . There was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud, and a very loud trumpet sound.
On the third morning there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud trumpet. Everyone in the camp trembled. was covered in smoke, because the LORD came down on it in fire. The LORD called up to the top of the mountain.
God said: "I am the LORD your God. Have no other gods. Don't make . Use my name with respect."
God said: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make to bow down to. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God."
Bible explorer The commandments begin by reminding Israel what God had already done for them (Exodus 20:2).
"Keep the day special. Honour your father and your mother."
"Remember the day, to keep it holy. You shall work six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land."
Bible explorer Paul calls "honour your father and mother" the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2).
"Don't kill. Keep your marriage promises. Don't steal. Don't tell lies about other people. Don't wish for what belongs to someone else."
"You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbour's house, or anything that is your neighbour's."
Bible explorer Adultery means breaking the promise of marriage. Coveting means wanting what belongs to someone else.
God wrote the on two tablets of stone and gave them to .
The people were afraid and stood far off, but went near to the thick darkness where God was. Later God gave Moses two tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
Bible explorer Jesus summed up the law in two commands: love God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).
The end of the story
Read it in the Bible
This is the Bible text itself, from the version shown. Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition
Exodus 19:16–20 WEB
16On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. 18All of Mount Sinai smoked, because the LORD descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. 20The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Exodus 20:1–21 WEB
1God spoke all these words, saying, 2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3“You shall have no other gods before me. 4“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. 8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. 12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 13“You shall not murder. 14“You shall not commit adultery. 15“You shall not steal. 16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” 18All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. 19They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” 21The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 31:18 WEB
18When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses the two tablets of the covenant, stone tablets, written with God’s finger.
Who is in the story?
- Moses He went up Mount Sinai and received the tablets of stone (Exodus 19:20, 31:18).
- The people of Israel They camped at Mount Sinai after leaving Egypt (Exodus 19:1-2).
Words to learn
- Idol
- An idol is a statue that people pray to as if it were God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down to the king's golden statue.
- Law (Torah)
- The law is God's teaching about how to live. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
- Mount Sinai
- Mount Sinai is the mountain where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
- Sabbath
- The Sabbath is the seventh day, a day to rest and remember God. God rested on the seventh day after making the world.
- Torah
- Hebrew for instruction or teaching; the usual word translated "law". It also names the first five books of the Bible.
What can we learn from this passage?
God gave the commandments to a people he had already rescued from slavery. The first commands are about loving God; the rest are about loving and respecting other people. Exodus 20:2–3Matthew 22:37–40