Deuteronomy 16

1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to Jehovah your God; for in the month of Abib Jehovah your God brought you 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 You shall sacrifice the Passover to Jehovah your 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 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction; for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that you may remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your 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 No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the flesh, which you 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 You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates, which Jehovah your God gives you;

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 your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you 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 You shall roast and eat it in the place which Jehovah your God shall choose: and you shall turn in the morning, and go to your 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 you shall eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to Jehovah your God; you 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 You shall count for yourselves seven weeks: from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to number seven weeks.

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

10 You shall keep the feast of weeks to Jehovah your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give, according as Jehovah your God blesses you:

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 you shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the foreigner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are in the midst of you, in the place which Jehovah your 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 You shall remember that you were a bondservant in Egypt: and you shall observe and do these statutes.

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

13 You shall keep the feast of tents seven days, after that you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your winepress:

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

14 and you shall rejoice in your feast, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite, and the foreigner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your 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 You shall keep a feast to Jehovah your God seven days in the place which Jehovah shall choose; because Jehovah your God will bless you in all your increase, and in all the work of your hands, and you 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 shall all your males appear before Jehovah your 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 tents; 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 your God which he has given you.

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

18 You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Jehovah your God gives you, according to your 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 You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert 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 You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live, and inherit the land which Jehovah your God gives you.

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 You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah your God, which you shall make for yourselves.

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

22 Neither shall you set yourself up a pillar; which Jehovah your God hates.

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