Deuteronomy 16

Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

16"In honor of the LORD your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib

, for that was the month in which the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.H8104H2320H24H6213H6453H3068H430H2320H24H3068H430H3318H4714H39152Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the LORD your God at the designated place of worship—the place he chooses for his name to be honored.H2076H6453H3068H430H6629H1241H4725H3068H977H7931H80343Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.H398H2557H7651H3117H398H4682H3899H6040H3318H776H4714H2649H2142H3117H3318H776H4714H3117H24164Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those seven days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the next morning.H7603H7200H1366H7651H3117H1320H2076H7223H3117H6153H3885H12425"You may not sacrifice the Passover in just any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you.H3201H2076H6453H259H8179H3068H430H54146You must offer it only at the designated place of worship—the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt.H4725H3068H430H977H7931H8034H2076H6453H6153H935H8121H4150H3318H47147Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the LORD your God chooses. Then you may go back to your tents the next morning.H1310H398H4725H3068H430H977H6437H1242H1980H1688For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the LORD your God, and no work may be done on that day.H8337H3117H398H4682H7637H3117H6116H3068H430H6213H4399

The Festival of Harvest

9"Count off seven weeks from when you first begin to cut the grain at the time of harvest.H7651H7620H5608H2490H5608H7651H7620H2490H2770H705410Then celebrate the Festival of Harvest

to honor the LORD your God. Bring him a voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received from him.H6213H2282H7620H3068H430H4530H5071H3027H5414H3068H430H128811This is a time to celebrate before the LORD your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.H8055H6440H3068H430H1121H1323H5650H519H3881H8179H1616H3490H490H7130H4725H3068H430H977H7931H803412Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, so be careful to obey all these decrees.H2142H5650H4714H8104H6213H2706

The Festival of Shelters

13"You must observe the Festival of Shelters

for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain has been threshed and the grapes have been pressed.H6213H2282H5521H7651H3117H622H1637H334214This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns.H8055H2282H1121H1323H5650H519H3881H1616H3490H490H817915For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the LORD your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.H7651H3117H2287H3068H430H4725H3068H977H3068H430H1288H8393H4639H3027H805616"Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the LORD without a gift for him.H7969H6471H8141H2138H7200H6440H3068H430H4725H977H2282H4682H2282H7620H2282H5521H7200H6440H3068H738717All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God.H376H4979H3027H1293H3068H430H5414

Justice for the People

18"Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the LORD your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.H8199H7860H5414H8179H3068H430H5414H7626H8199H5971H6664H494119You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.H5186H4941H5234H6440H3947H7810H7810H5786H5869H2450H5557H1697H666220Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.H6664H6664H7291H2421H3423H776H3068H430H541421"You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the LORD your God.H5193H842H6086H681H4196H3068H430H621322And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the LORD your God hates them.H6965H4676H3068H430H8130