《圣经》中记载，由于移居到埃及的以犹太人人劳动勤奋，并且以擅长贸易著称，所以积攒了许多财富。这引起了执政者的不满。另外加之执政者对于以色列人的恐惧，所以法老下令杀死新出生的犹太男孩，梅瑟出生后其母亲为保其性命“就取了一个蒲草箱，抹上石漆和石油，将孩子放在里头，把箱子搁在河边的芦荻中。”后来被来洗澡的埃及公主发现，带回了宫中。梅瑟长大后一次失手杀死了一名殴打犹太人的士兵，为了躲避法老的追杀，梅瑟来到了米甸并娶祭司的女儿西坡拉为妻，生有一子。梅瑟一日受到了神的感召，回到埃及，并带领居住在埃及的犹太人，离开那里返回故乡。在回乡的路上，梅瑟得到了神所颁布的《十诫》，即《摩西十诫》。


摩西十戒原文以及译文：

The Ten Commandments(摩西十戒)

First
"I am The Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me."
(第一条：我是耶和华－你的上帝，曾将你从埃及地为奴之家领出来，除了我之外，你不可有别的神。)

Second
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Commandments."
(第二条：不可为自己雕刻偶像，也不可做什么形象仿佛上天、下地，和地底下、水中的百物。不可跪拜那些像，也不可事奉它，因为我耶和华－你的上帝是忌邪的上帝。恨我的，我必追讨他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代；爱我、守我戒命的，我必向他们发慈爱，直到千代。)

Third
"You shall not take The Name of The Lord your God in vain; for The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain."
(第三条：不可妄称耶和华－你上帝的名；因为妄称耶和华名的，耶和华必不以他为无罪。)

Fourth
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to The Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
(第四条：当记念安息日，守为圣日。六日要劳碌做你的工，但第七日是向耶和华－你上帝当守的安息日。这一日你和你的儿女、仆婢、牲畜，并你城里寄居的客旅，无论何工都不可做；因为六日之内，耶和华造天、地、海，和其中的万物，第七日便安息，所以耶和华赐福与安息日，定为圣日。)


Fifth
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which The Lord your God gives you."
(第五条：当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华－你上帝所赐你的土地上得以长久。)

Sixth
"You shall not kill."
(第六条：不可杀人。)

Seventh
"You shall not commit adultery."
(第七条：不可奸淫。)

Eighth
"You shall not steal."
(第八条：不可偷盗。)

Ninth
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
(第九条：不可做假见证陷害人。)

Tenth
"You shall not covet your neighbor s house; you shall not covet your neighbor s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor s."
(第十条：不可贪恋人的房屋；也不可贪恋人的妻子、仆婢、牛驴，并他一切所有的)