10. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai. He said to me, “Bring the people together to listen to what I say. Then they will respect me as long as they live in the land. And they will teach these things to their children.”
11. Then you came and stood at the bottom of the mountain. It blazed with fire that reached to the sky. Black clouds made it very dark.
12. Then the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You heard the sound of words. But you did not see him. There was only a voice.
13. The Lord told you about his agreement. It was the Ten Commandments. And he told you to obey them. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets.
14. Then the Lord commanded me to teach you the laws and rules. You must obey them in the land you will own when you cross the Jordan River.
15. The Lord spoke to you from the fire at Mount Sinai. But you did not see him. So watch yourselves carefully!
16. Don’t sin by making idols of any kind. Don’t make statues of men or women.
17. Don’t make statues of animals on earth or birds that fly in the air.
18. Don’t make statues of anything that crawls on the ground. Don’t make statues of fish in the water below.
19. When you look up at the sky, you see the sun, moon and stars. You can see everything in the sky. But don’t bow down and worship them. The Lord your God has made these things for all people everywhere.
20. Egypt tested you like a furnace for melting iron. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. And he made you his very own people, as you are now.
21. The Lord was angry with me because of you. He made a strong promise that I would not cross the Jordan River. I could not go into the good land the Lord your God is giving you to own.
22. I will die here in this land. I will not cross the Jordan. But you will soon go across and take that good land.
23. Be careful. Don’t forget the agreement of the Lord your God that he made with you. Don’t make any idols for yourselves. The Lord your God has commanded you not to do that.