14. but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work — neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do.
15. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath.
16. “ ‘Respect your father and your mother, as I, the Lord your God, command you, so that all may go well with you and so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.
17. “ ‘Do not commit murder.
18. “ ‘Do not commit adultery.
19. “ ‘Do not steal.
20. “ ‘Do not accuse anyone falsely.
21. “ ‘Do not desire another man's wife; do not desire his house, his land, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.’
22. “These are the commandments the Lord gave to all of you when you were gathered at the mountain. When he spoke with a mighty voice from the fire and from the thick clouds, he gave these commandments and no others. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
23. “When the whole mountain was on fire and you heard the voice from the darkness, your leaders and the chiefs of your tribes came to me
24. and said, ‘The Lord our God showed us his greatness and his glory when we heard him speak from the fire! Today we have seen that it is possible for a human being to continue to live, even though God has spoken to him.
25. But why should we risk death again? That terrible fire will destroy us. We are sure to die if we hear the Lord our God speak again.
26. Has any human being ever lived after hearing the living God speak from a fire?
27. Go back, Moses, and listen to everything that the Lord our God says. Then return and tell us what he said to you. We will listen and obey.’
28. “When the Lord heard this, he said to me, ‘I have heard what these people said, and they are right.
29. If only they would always feel like this! If only they would always honour me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants for ever.
30. Go and tell them to return to their tents.