“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
What’s inside
- The Ten Commandments poster (p3): the full KJV text of Exodus 20:3–17, numbered 1–10, with verse numbers
- The two tablets poster (p4): the opening KJV words of each commandment on two stone tablets: "Love God" (1–4) and "Love thy neighbour" (5–10)
- The Ten Commandments for kids (p5): each commandment in simple words, with the KJV words underneath
- Coloring page (p6): the two tablets on Mount Sinai with Roman numerals I–X
- Fill in the missing word (p7): word bank and first-letter hints · Put them in order + love God or love others? (p8) · Answer key + 5 discussion questions (p9)
- 10 memory cards (p10): cut-apart cards with the number, the KJV words and the reference
- How churches number them (p11): Protestant / Orthodox, Catholic / Lutheran and Jewish numbering side by side, plus Exodus 20 vs Deuteronomy 5
- Start-here page (how to use, 4 memory games) and a closing page
How to use it
- Print at 100% ("Actual size"). Use cardstock for the memory cards.
- Hang the full KJV poster or the two tablets poster. For a bigger poster, print page 3 or 4 on tabloid (11 × 17 in) or A3 with "Fit to page".
- Learn one commandment a day for ten days: read it in the KJV, say it in simple words, and color page 6 while you talk about it.
- Check yourself with the two worksheets (answers on page 9), then play the memory-card games.
The Ten Commandments (KJV, Exodus 20:3–17)
Exodus 20 begins: I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (Exodus 20:2).
1. No other gods
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
2. No idols
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
3. Honour God’s name
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
4. Keep the sabbath
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
5. Honour parents
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
6. Do not kill
“Thou shalt not kill.”
7. Be faithful
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
8. Do not steal
“Thou shalt not steal.”
9. Tell the truth
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”
10. Do not covet
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
The Ten Commandments list (short form)
The opening KJV words of each commandment, as on the two tablets poster and the memory cards:
- Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)
- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. (Exodus 20:4-6)
- Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. (Exodus 20:7)
- Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)
- Honour thy father and thy mother. (Exodus 20:12)
- Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13)
- Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)
- Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15)
- Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:16)
- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. (Exodus 20:17)
The Ten Commandments for kids
Simple words help children understand. These summaries are not Bible text; the KJV words are underneath each one on page 5.
| # | In simple words | KJV opening words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worship only God. Love Him most of all. | Thou shalt have no other gods before me. |
| 2 | Do not make idols or bow down to them. | Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. |
| 3 | Say God’s name with love and respect. | Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. |
| 4 | Keep a holy day of rest to remember God. | Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. |
| 5 | Respect and obey your parents. | Honour thy father and thy mother. |
| 6 | Do not murder. Every life is precious to God. | Thou shalt not kill. |
| 7 | Keep marriage promises. Be faithful. | Thou shalt not commit adultery. |
| 8 | Do not take what belongs to someone else. | Thou shalt not steal. |
| 9 | Tell the truth. Do not lie about others. | Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. |
| 10 | Be thankful. Do not crave what others have. | Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. |
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Ten Commandments worksheets and activities
Page 7 is a fill in the missing word worksheet (word bank + first-letter hints; every blank has exactly one answer from the bank). Page 8 has put them in order (10 scrambled lines), a “love God or love others?” sort and a bonus question on Matthew 22:37–39. Page 9 is the answer key with 5 discussion questions.
Memory games from the start page:
- Ten fingers
- Card shuffle
- Which tablet?
- What’s missing?
How different churches number the Ten Commandments
| Exodus 20 | In short | Most Protestant & Orthodox | Catholic & Lutheran | Jewish tradition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:2 | I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out… | preface | preface | 1 |
| 20:3 | No other gods before me | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 20:4-6 | No graven image | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 20:7 | Not take the name of the LORD in vain | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 20:8-11 | Remember the sabbath day | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 20:12 | Honour thy father and thy mother | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| 20:13 | Thou shalt not kill | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| 20:14 | Thou shalt not commit adultery | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| 20:15 | Thou shalt not steal | 8 | 7 | 8 |
| 20:16 | Not bear false witness | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| 20:17 | Thou shalt not covet | 10 | 9 & 10 | 10 |
Exodus 20 does not number the commandments. Most Protestant and Orthodox churches count "no other gods" and "no graven image" as two. Catholic and Lutheran churches count them as one and split "thou shalt not covet" into two. Jewish tradition counts verse 2, "I am the LORD thy God", as the first of the Ten Words. This printable uses the first column; the words are the same in every tradition.
“These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.”
You learned the Ten. Keep going.
Keep hiding God’s Word in your heart with the Scripture Memory Cards ($7.99).
Want to study Exodus 20 more slowly? Use the SOAP Bible Study Journal ($12.99), pray through each commandment with the 30-Day Prayer Journal ($9.99), or get all three in the Starter Bundle ($24.99).
Related reading: idols · parents · rest · lying · loving thy neighbor · putting God first · respect · being thankful · Bible verses for kids
Also free: Books of the Bible printable · Bible verse bookmarks · Christmas Bible trivia · coloring page sample · SOAP study sheet
Frequently asked questions
Is this Ten Commandments printable really free?
Yes. All 12 pages are free to download and print for personal, family, classroom, homeschool and church use. Please share the page link rather than the file, and don’t resell it.
Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?
They are given twice: in Exodus 20:1–17, when God spoke them at Mount Sinai, and in Deuteronomy 5:6–21, where Moses repeats them. The Bible names them "ten commandments" in Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13 and Deuteronomy 10:4.
What are the Ten Commandments in order (KJV)?
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother. 6. Thou shalt not kill. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8. Thou shalt not steal. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. This is the numbering most Protestant churches use.
Why do Catholic and Protestant lists number them differently?
Exodus 20 does not number them. Catholic and Lutheran lists join "no other gods" and "no graven image" into the first commandment and split coveting into the ninth and tenth. Most Protestant and Orthodox lists keep those two apart and count coveting as one. The words are the same; page 11 of the printable has a side-by-side chart.
Is there a version for kids?
Yes. Page 5 puts each commandment in simple words (for example, "Tell the truth. Do not lie about others.") with the KJV words underneath. The summaries help children understand; they are not Bible text. There is also a coloring page, two worksheets and memory-card games.
Does the KJV say "kill" or "murder"?
The King James Version reads "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). Many modern translations say "You shall not murder", because the Hebrew word is used for unlawful killing. The kids’ page says "Do not murder. Every life is precious to God."
What did Jesus say about the Ten Commandments?
Jesus summed up the law in two great commandments: love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37–39). Commandments 1–4 are about loving God, and 5–10 are about loving others. He also said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
What size is the printable, and can I make the poster bigger?
The PDF comes in US Letter and A4, and everything prints inside a 0.5-inch margin. For a bigger poster, print page 3 (full text) or page 4 (two tablets) on tabloid (11 × 17 in) or A3 paper with "Fit to page". Print the memory cards on cardstock.
Free for personal, family, classroom and church use. Please share the page link rather than the file, and don’t resell. Scripture from the King James Version (public domain in the US). The kids’ summaries are simple paraphrases, not Bible text.
