Deuteronomy 16
- Moses said:
- 1 People of Israel, you must celebrate
Passover in the month of Abib, because one night in that month
years ago, the Lord your God rescued you from Egypt. 2 The Passover
sacrifice must be a cow, a sheep, or a goat, and you must offer
it at the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped. 3 Eat
all of the meat of the Passover sacrifice that same night. But
don’t serve bread made with yeast at the Passover meal.
Serve the same kind of thin bread that you ate when you were
slaves suffering in Egypt and when you had to leave Egypt quickly.
As long as you live, this thin bread will remind you of the day
you left Egypt.
For seven days following Passover, don’t
make any bread with yeast. In fact, there should be no yeast
anywhere in Israel.
5 Don’t offer the Passover sacrifice
in just any town where you happen to live. 6 It must be offered
at the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped. Kill the
sacrifice at sunset, the time of day when you left Egypt. 7 Then
cook it and eat it there at the place of worship, returning to
your tents the next morning.
8 Eat thin bread for the next six days.
Then on the seventh day, don’t do any work. Instead, come
together and worship the Lord.
The Harvest Festival
(Exodus 34.22; Leviticus 23.15-21)
- Moses said to Israel:
- 9 Seven weeks after you start your
grain harvest, 10 go to the place where the Lord chooses to be
worshiped and celebrate the Harvest Festival in honor of the
Lord your God. Bring him an offering as large as you can afford,
depending on how big a harvest he has given you. Be sure to take
along your sons and daughters and all your servants. Also invite
the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
12 Remember that you used to be slaves in Egypt, so obey these
laws.
The Festival of Shelters
(Leviticus 23.33-43; Numbers 29.12-38)
- Moses said to Israel:
- 13 After you have finished
the grain harvest and the grape harvest, take your sons and daughters
and all your servants to the place where the Lord chooses to
be worshiped. Celebrate the Festival of Shelters for seven days.
Also invite the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans,
and widows.
The Lord will give you big harvests
and make you successful in everything you do. You will be completely
happy, so celebrate this festival in honor of the Lord your God.
Three Festivals at the Place of Worship
(Exodus 23.14-17)
- Moses said:
- 16 Each year there are three festivals
when all Israelite men must go to the place where the Lord chooses
to be worshiped. These are the Festival of Thin Bread, the Harvest
Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. And don’t forget
to take along a gift for the Lord. 17 The bigger the harvest
the Lord gives you, the bigger your gift should be.
Treat Everyone with Justice
- Moses said to Israel:
- 18 After you are settled in the towns
that you will receive from the Lord your God, the people in each
town must appoint judges and other officers. Those of you that
become judges must be completely fair when you make legal decisions,
even if someone important is involved. Don’t take bribes
to give unfair decisions. Bribes keep people who are wise from
seeing the truth and turn honest people into liars.
20 People of Israel, if you want to enjoy
a long and successful life, make sure that everyone is treated
with justice in the land the Lord is giving you.
Don’t Set Up Sacred Poles or Stones
- Moses said to Israel:
- 21 When you build the altar for offering
sacrifices to the Lord your God, don’t set up a sacred pole
for the worship of the goddess Asherah. 22 And don’t set
up a sacred stone! The Lord hates these things.
The Contemporary English Version, c1995 by the American Bible Society.
Selected texts provided for use with the Hypertext Bible Commentary