7 The Lord our God is near us every time we pray to him. What other nation is great enough to have its gods that close to them?
8 I'm giving you the laws of the Lord today. What other nation is great enough to have rules and laws that are as fair as these?
9 Don't be careless. Instead, be very careful. Don't forget the things your eyes have seen. As long as you live, don't let them slip from your mind. Teach them to your children and their children after them.
10 Remember the day you stood at Mount Horeb. The Lord your God was there. He said to me, "Bring the people to me to hear my words. I want them to learn to have respect for me as long as they live in the land. I want them to teach my words to their children."
11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain. It blazed with fire that reached as high as the very heavens. There were black clouds and deep darkness.
12 Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of his words. But you didn't see any shape or form. You only heard a voice.
13 He announced his covenant to you. That covenant is the Ten Commandments. He commanded you to follow them. Then he wrote them down on two stone tablets.