Deuteronomy 16

1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to Jehovah thy God, for in the month of Abib Jehovah thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

You are to observe the month of Abib and to celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, because it was in the month of Abib that the Lord your God led you out of Egypt by night.

2 And thou shall sacrifice the Passover to Jehovah thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Jehovah shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.

The Passover sacrifice from your herd or flock must be offered to the Lord your God in the place where the Lord will choose to live with you.

3 Thou shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days thou shall eat unleavened bread with it, even the bread of affliction, for thou came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste, that thou may remember the day when thou came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

Don't eat ordinary bread with it. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast with it, the bread of hardship, because you had to leave Egypt in such a hurry. This way you'll remember day you left Egypt for the rest of your lives.

4 And there shall be no leaven seen with thee in all thy borders seven days. Neither shall any of the flesh, which thou sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning.

Don't have yeast anywhere in your country for seven days. Don't keep any of the meat that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day until the morning.

5 Thou may not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates, which Jehovah thy God gives thee,

Don't sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you.

6 but at the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose to cause his name to dwell in, there thou shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou came forth out of Egypt.

The Passover sacrifice must be offered by you only at the place where the Lord your God will choose to live with you. You are to do this in the evening at sunset-the same time you left Egypt.

7 And thou shall roast and eat it in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, and thou shall turn in the morning, and go to thy tents.

Cook it and eat it in the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning go back to your tents.

8 Six days thou shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to Jehovah thy God. Thou shall do no work.

Eat bread without yeast for six days, and the on the seventh day you are to have a holy meeting to honor the Lord your God. You are not to do any work.

9 Thou shall number to thee seven weeks. From the time thou begin to put the sickle to the standing grain thou shall begin to number seven weeks.

Count off seven weeks from when you start the grain harvest.

10 And thou shall keep the feast of weeks to Jehovah thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering from thy hand, which thou shall give, according as Jehovah thy God blesses thee.

Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to honor him the Lord your God by giving him a freewill offering, depending on just how much the Lord your God has blessed you.

11 And thou shall rejoice before Jehovah thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are in the midst of thee, in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there,

You will celebrate in the Lord's presence in the place where he will choose to live with you. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levites who live in your towns, as well as the foreigners, orphans, and widows among you.

12 and thou shall remember that thou were a bondman in Egypt. And thou shall observe and do these statutes.

Don't forget that you were once slaves in Egypt, and be careful to follow these regulations.

13 Thou shall keep the feast of tabernacles seven days after thou have gathered in from thy threshing-floor and from thy winepress.

Celebrate the Festival of Shelters for seven days once you have finished threshing your grain and pressing your grapes.

14 And thou shall rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within thy gates.

Enjoy your feast—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levites who live in your towns, as well as the foreigners, orphans, and widows among you.

15 Seven days thou shall keep a feast to Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah shall choose, because Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the work of thy hands, and thou shall be altogether joyful.

Celebrate this Festival for seven days to honor the Lord your God in the place he will choose, because the Lord your God will bless your whole harvest and everything you do, so you will be really happy.

16 Three times in a year all thy males shall appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. And they shall not appear before Jehovah empty.

All your men must come before the Lord your God in the place He will choose three times every year: the Festival of Bread without Yeast, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters. No one should come before the Lord without an offering.

17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which he has given thee.

Each of you is to bring whatever gift you can, depending on how much the Lord your God has blessed you.

18 Thou shall make judges and officers for thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God gives thee, according to thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Choose judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town that the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.

19 Thou shall not distort justice. Thou shall not respect persons, neither shall thou take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.

Don't pervert justice or show favoritism. Don't take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the wise and twists the words of the truthful.

20 Thou shall follow that which is altogether just, that thou may live, and inherit the land which Jehovah thy God gives thee.

Always do what is right and just, so that you may go on living, occupying the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

21 Thou shall not plant for thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shall make for thee.

Don't ever set up a wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you build for the Lord your God,

22 Neither shall thou set up a pillar for thee, which Jehovah thy God hates.

and don't make for yourselves an idolatrous stone pillar, which the Lord your God hates.