Deuteronomy 16

1 Thou shalt keepe the moneth of Abib, and thou shalt celebrate the Passeouer vnto the Lord thy God: for in the moneth of Abib ye Lord thy God brought thee out of Egypt by night.

“[Each year] honor Yahweh our God by celebrating the Passover [Festival] in the month of Abib [in early spring]. It was on a night in that month that Yahweh rescued your ancestors from Egypt.

2 Thou shalt therefore offer the Passeouer vnto the Lord thy God, of sheepe and bullockes in the place where the Lord shall chose to cause his Name to dwell.

[In order to celebrate that festival], go to the place that Yahweh will choose [for you to worship him], and offer [there one young animal] from your cattle or your sheep to be the Passover sacrifice, to honor Yahweh [MTY].

3 Thou shalt eate no leauened bread with it: but seuen dayes shalt thou eate vnleauened bread therewith, euen the bread of tribulation: for thou camest out of the land of Egypt in haste, that thou maist remember ye day whe thou camest out of the land of Egypt, all the dayes of thy life.

[When you eat the Passover meal], the bread that you eat must not have yeast in it. You must eat this kind of bread, which will be called the bread of suffering/misery, for seven days. This is to help you to remember all during the time that you are alive that when your ancestors left Egypt, [where they were suffering because they were slaves], they left very quickly. [They did not put in yeast and wait for the dough to swell up].

4 And there shalbe no leauen seene with thee in all thy coastes seuen dayes long: neither shall there remaine the night any of the flesh vntil the morning which thou offeredst ye first day at euen.

[During that festival], you must not have any yeast in any house in your land for seven days. Furthermore, the meat [of the animals] that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day [of the Passover Festival must be eaten during that night]; do not allow any of it to remain until the next day.

5 Thou maist not offer ye Passeouer within any of thy gates, which ye Lord thy God giueth thee:

“To honor Yahweh our God, you must offer the Passover sacrifice only at the place that he chooses for you [to worship him]; do not offer that sacrifice in any other town in the land that Yahweh is giving to you. Offer that sacrifice when the sun is setting, at the same time of day that your ancestors [started to] leave Egypt.

6 But in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his Name, there thou shalt offer the Passeouer at euen, about the going downe of the sunne, in the season that thou camest out of Egypt.

7 And thou shalt roste and eate it in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, and shalt returne on the morowe, and goe vnto thy tentes.

Boil [the meat] and eat it at the place [of worship] that Yahweh our God chooses. The next morning, you may return to your tents.

8 Six daies shalt thou eate vnleauened bread, and ye seuenth day shall be a solemne assemblie to ye Lord thy God thou shalt do no worke therein.

Each day for six days the bread that you eat must have no yeast in it. On the seventh day, you must all gather to worship Yahweh our God. [It will be a day of rest]; you must not do any work on that day.”

9 Seuen weekes shalt thou nomber vnto thee, and shalt beginne to nomber ye seuen weekes, when thou beginnest to put the sickel to ye corne:

“[Each year], from the day that you start to harvest your grain, count seven weeks.

10 And thou shalt keepe the feast of weekes vnto the Lord thy God, euen a free gift of thine hand, which thou shalt giue vnto the Lord thy God, as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.

Then, to honor Yahweh our God, celebrate the Harvest Festival. Do that by bringing to him an offering [of grain]. Yahweh has blessed you [by causing it to grow in your fields during that year]. If you had a big harvest, bring a big offering. If you had a small harvest, bring a small offering.

11 And thou shalt reioyce before the Lord thy God, thou and thy sonne, and thy daughter, and thy seruant, and thy maide, and the Leuite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherles, and the widowe, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his Name there,

[Each married couple] should be joyful in the presence of Yahweh. Their children, their servants, the descendants of Levi [who are in that town], and the foreigners, orphans, and widows [who are living among you], should also be joyful. Bring those offerings to the place of worship that Yahweh will choose.

12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a seruant in Egypt: therefore thou shalt obserue and doe these ordinances.

[“When you celebrate these festivals] by obeying these commands, remember that your ancestors were previously slaves in Egypt.”

13 Thou shalt obserue the feast of the Tabernacles seuen daies, when thou hast gathered in thy corne, and thy wine.

“[Each year], after you have threshed all your grain and pressed [the juice from] all your grapes, you must celebrate the Festival of [Living in Temporary] Shelters for seven days.

14 And thou shalt reioyce in thy feast, thou, and thy sonne, and thy daughter, and thy seruant, and thy maid, and the Leuite, and the stranger, and the fatherlesse, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

[Each married couple] along with their children, their servants, the descendants of Levi [who are in that town], and the foreigners, orphans, and widows [who are living among you], should be joyful in the presence of Yahweh.

15 Seuen daies shalt thou keepe a feast vnto the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall chuse: when the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thine increase, and in all the workes of thine hands, thou shalt in any case be glad.

Honor Yahweh our God by celebrating this festival for seven days in the place that Yahweh chooses [for you to worship him]. You should all be joyful, because Yahweh will have blessed your harvest and all the other work that you have done.

16 Three times in the yeere shall all the males appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse: in the feast of the vnleauened bread, and in the feast of the weekes, and in the feast of the Tabernacles: and they shall not appeare before the Lord emptie.

“So, each year all of you Israeli men must gather [with your families] to worship Yahweh our God at the place that he will choose, [to celebrate three festivals]: The Passover Festival, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters. Each of you men must bring [LIT] an offering [for Yahweh to these festivals]

17 Euery man shall giue according to the gift of his hand, and according to the blessing of the Lord thy God, which he hath giuen thee.

in proportion to the blessings that Yahweh has given you [during that year].”

18 Iudges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy cities, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement.

“Appoint judges and other officials throughout your tribes, in all the towns [in the land] that Yahweh our God is giving to you. They must judge people fairly/justly.

19 Wrest not thou ye Law, nor respect any person, neither take rewarde: for the reward blindeth ye eyes of the wise, and peruerteth ye worde of ye iust.

They must not judge unjustly. They must not favor one person more than another. The judges must not accept bribes, because if a judge accepts a bribe, even if he is wise and honest, it will be very difficult for him to judge fairly [IDM]; [he will do what the person who gave him the bribe wants him to do and declare that] the righteous/innocent people [must be punished].

20 That which is iust and right shalt thou follow, that thou maiest liue, and possesse the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee.

You must be completely fair and just [DOU], in order that you will enter and occupy the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.”

21 Thou shalt plant thee no groue of any trees neere vnto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

“When you make an altar to worship Yahweh our God, do not put next to it any wooden statue [that represents] the goddess Asherah.

22 Thou shalt set thee vp no pillar, which thing the Lord thy God hateth.

And do not set up any [stone] pillar [to worship any idol, because] Yahweh hates them.”