Classic Poem

The great Almighty spake, and thus said he:
I am the Lord thy God, and I alone
From cruel Egypt's thraldom set thee free;
And other gods but me thou shalt have none.

Have mercy, Lord, and so our hearts incline,
That we may keep this blessed law of thine!

Thou shalt not make an image to adore
Of aught on earth, above it, or below;
A carved work thou shalt not bow before,
Nor any worship on the same bestow:
For I, thy God, a jealous God am known,
And on their seed the fathers' sins correct,
Until the third and fourth descent be gone;
But them I always love that me affect.

The name of God thou never shalt abuse,
By swearing or repeating it in vain;
For him that doth his name profanely use,
The Lord will as a guilty one arraign.

To keep the Sabbath holy bear in mind:
Six days thine own affairs apply thou to;
The seventh is God's own day, for rest assigned,
And thou no kind of work therein shalt do,
Thou, nor thy child, thy servants, nor thy beast,
Nor he that guest-wise with thee doth abide;
For after six days' labour God did rest,
And therefore he that day hath sanctified.

See that unto thy parents thou do give
Such honour as the child by duty owes,
That thou a long and blessed life may live
Within the land the Lord thy God bestows.

Thou shalt be wary that thou no man slay.
Thou shalt from all adultery be clear.
Thou shalt not steal another's goods away,
Nor witness false against thy neighbour bear.

With what is thine remaining well apaid,
Thou shalt not covet what thy neighbour's is;
His house, nor wife, his servant, man, nor maid,
His ox, nor ass, nor anything of his.

Thy mercy, Lord, thy mercy let us have,
And in our heart these laws of thine engrave!