Provision of Rest from Work

12 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 13 “And you, speak to the Israelites,[fn] saying, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, because itis a sign between me and you throughout your generations, in order to know that I am Yahweh, who consecrates you. 14 And you must keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you; defilers[fn] of it will surely be put to death, because anyone who does work on it—that person will be cut off from among his people. 15 On six days work can be done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of complete rest,[fn]a holy day[fn] for Yahweh; anyone doing work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death. 16 The Israelites[fn] will pay attention to the Sabbathin order to fulfill the Sabbath[fn] throughout their generationsas a lasting covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the Israelites[fn] forever, becausein six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh he ceased[fn] and recovered.”[fn]

18 And when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave to Moses the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with the finger of God.