The Ten Commandments · piece 7 of 26
The Seventh Commandment
From Luther’s Small Catechism, 1529
Practice mode shows the first letter of each word. Say the line, then tap it to check.
You must not steal. (Exodus 20:15)
What does this mean?
We must fear and love God, so that we will neither take our neighbor's money or property, nor acquire it by fraud or by selling him poorly made products, but will help him improve and protect his property and career.
In plain words
Do not take other people’s money or things. Do not cheat them in business or sell them bad products. Instead, help your neighbour keep what they have. Help them protect their belongings and do well in their work.
Our summary of Luther’s explanation, for reading after his words, not instead of them.
Where Jesus says it
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Luke 19:8–9 Zacchaeus promises to pay back anyone he cheated, and Jesus says salvation has come to his house.
Read Luke 19:8–9
8 Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Translated by Robert E. Smith for Project Wittenberg (revised 2004) and placed in the public domain by the translator. How we checked it, and the whole Catechism on one page