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The Passover

16 Celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God during the month of Abib [C March-April], because it was during Abib that he brought you out of Egypt at night [Ex. 12:1–6; Lev. 23:5–8]. As the sacrifice for the Passover to the Lord your God, offer an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; C Zion; 12:4–7]. Do not eat it with bread made with ·yeast [leaven]. But for seven days eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven], the bread of ·suffering [affliction], because you left Egypt in a hurry. So all your life you will remember the time you left Egypt. There must be no ·yeast [leaven] anywhere in your land for seven days. Offer the sacrifice on the evening of the first day, and eat all the meat before morning; do not leave it overnight.

Do not offer the Passover sacrifice in just any ·town [L gate] the Lord your God gives you, but offer it in the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Offer it in the evening as the sun goes down, which is when you left Egypt. ·Roast the meat [Cook it] and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. The next morning go back to your tents. Eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven] for six days. On the seventh day have a ·special meeting [festive assembly] for the Lord your God, and do not work that day.

The Feast of Weeks

Count seven weeks from the time you ·begin to harvest [L put the sickle to] the grain, 10 and then celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks for the Lord your God [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:9–21; Num. 28:26–31]. Bring an offering as a special gift to him, giving to him just as he has blessed you. 11 Rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Everybody should rejoice: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your ·town [L gates], the ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows living among you. 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully obey all these ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements].

The Feast of Shelters

13 Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles] for seven days, after you have gathered your harvest from the threshing floor and winepress [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:33–36]. 14 Everybody should rejoice at your ·Feast [Festival]: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows who live in your ·towns [L gates]. 15 Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] to the Lord your God for seven days at the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7], because the Lord your God will bless all your ·harvest [yield; produce] and all the work ·you do [L of your hands], and you will be completely happy.

16 All your men must ·come [L appear] before the Lord three times a year to the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7]. They must come at these times: the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread [C another name for Passover], the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks, and the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles]. No man should come before the Lord ·without a gift [empty-handed]. 17 Each of you must bring a gift that will show how much the Lord your God has blessed you.

Judges for the People

18 Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every ·town [L gate] the Lord your God is giving you; they must judge the people fairly. 19 Do not ·judge unfairly [distort justice] or ·take sides [show partiality/favoritism]. Do not ·let people pay you to make wrong decisions [take bribes], because ·that kind of payment [bribes] makes wise people seem blind, and it ·changes the words of good people [undermines the cause of the innocent; Ex. 23:8; Ps. 5:5; Prov. 6:35; 17:8, 23; 21:14; Eccl. 7:7]. 20 Do [pursue] what is ·right [righteous] so that you will live and ·always have [possess] the land the Lord your God is giving you.

God Hates Idols

21 Do not set up a wooden ·Asherah idol [L Asherah; 7:5; Judg. 3:7] next to the altar you build for the Lord your God, 22 and do not set up holy stone pillars. The Lord your God hates them.

The Passover(A)

16 Observe the month of Aviv(B) and celebrate the Passover(C) of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name.(D) Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction,(E) because you left Egypt in haste(F)—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.(G) Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening(H) of the first day remain until morning.(I)

You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary[a](J) of your departure from Egypt. Roast(K) it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly(L) to the Lord your God and do no work.(M)

The Festival of Weeks(N)

Count off seven weeks(O) from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.(P) 10 Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. 11 And rejoice(Q) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name(R)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites(S) in your towns, and the foreigners,(T) the fatherless and the widows living among you.(U) 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,(V) and follow carefully these decrees.

The Festival of Tabernacles(W)

13 Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor(X) and your winepress.(Y) 14 Be joyful(Z) at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. 15 For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy(AA) will be complete.

16 Three times a year all your men must appear(AB) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(AC) the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.(AD) No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:(AE) 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

Judges

18 Appoint judges(AF) and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.(AG) 19 Do not pervert justice(AH) or show partiality.(AI) Do not accept a bribe,(AJ) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Worshiping Other Gods

21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole(AK) beside the altar you build to the Lord your God,(AL) 22 and do not erect a sacred stone,(AM) for these the Lord your God hates.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 16:6 Or down, at the time of day