The Ten Commandments state what is required in the love of God and love of neighbor. The first three concern the love of God, and the other seven love of neighbor.
What Does Each Command & Forbid?
1. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: YOU SHALL NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.
COMMANDS: faith, hope, love, and worship of God; reverence for holy things; prayer.
FORBIDS: idolatry; superstition; spiritism; tempting God; sacrilege; attendance at false worship.
2. YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN.
COMMANDS: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.
FORBIDS: blasphemy; the irreverent use of God's name; speaking disrespectfully of holy things; false oaths and the breaking of vows.
3. KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY.
COMMANDS: going to church on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
FORBIDS: missing church through one's own fault; unnecessary servile work on Sunday and holy days of obligation.
4. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.
COMMANDS: love; respect; obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.
FORBIDS: hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect; disobedience.
5. YOU SHALL NOT KILL.
COMMANDS: safeguarding of one's own life and bodily welfare and that of others.
FORBIDS: unjust killing; suicide; abortion; sterilization; dueling; endangering life and limb of self or others.
6. YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
COMMANDS: chastity in word and deed.
FORBIDS: obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.
7. YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.
COMMANDS: respect for the property of rights and others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public office.
FORBIDS: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day's work for wages received; breach of contract.
8. YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
COMMANDS: truthfulness; respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.
FORBIDS: lying; injury to the good name of others; slander; talebearing; rash judgment; contemptuous speech and the violation of secrecy.
9. YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WIFE.
COMMANDS: purity in thought.
FORBIDS: wilful impure thought and desires.
10. YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S GOODS.
COMMANDS: respect for the rights of others.
FORBIDS: the desire to take, to keep, or damage the property of others.
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Used with permission from EWTN.com