March 3, 2004, 3rd Sunday of Lent, year B.

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

In those days, God delivered all these commandments.

I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.

You shall not have other gods besides me.

You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above,

or on the earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth.

You shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God,

inflicting punishment for their father's wickedness on the children of those who hate me,

down to the third and fourth generation, but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me

and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord

will not leave unpunished the one who takes his name in vain.

Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.

No work may be done then either by you or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you.

In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the Sabbath

day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother that you may have a long life in the

land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not

bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not

covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,

nor anything else that belongs to him.

The Word of the Lord Lord.

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