Deuteronomy 16

Expanded Bible

The Passover

16 Celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God during the month of Abib [^CMarch-April], because it was during Abib that he brought you out of Egypt at night [Ex. 12:1–6; Lev. 23:5–8]. ² As the sacrifice for the Passover to the Lord your God, offer an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose to ·be worshiped [^Lcause his name to dwell there; ^CZion; 12:4–7]. ³ Do not eat it with bread made with ·yeast [leaven]. But for seven days eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven], the bread of ·suffering [affliction], because you left Egypt in a hurry. So all your life you will remember the time you left Egypt. ⁴ There must be no ·yeast [leaven] anywhere in your land for seven days. Offer the sacrifice on the evening of the first day, and eat all the meat before morning; do not leave it overnight.

⁵ Do not offer the Passover sacrifice in just any ·town [^Lgate] the Lord your God gives you, ⁶ but offer it in the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [^Lcause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Offer it in the evening as the sun goes down, which is when you left Egypt. ⁷ ·Roast the meat [Cook it] and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. The next morning go back to your tents. ⁸ Eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven] for six days. On the seventh day have a ·special meeting [festive assembly] for the Lord your God, and do not work that day.

The Feast of Weeks

⁹ Count seven weeks from the time you ·begin to harvest [^Lput the sickle to] the grain, ¹⁰ and then celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks for the Lord your God [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:9–21; Num. 28:26–31]. Bring an offering as a special gift to him, giving to him just as he has blessed you. ¹¹ Rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [^Lcause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Everybody should rejoice: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your ·town [^Lgates], the ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows living among you. ¹² Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully obey all these ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements].

The Feast of Shelters

¹³ Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles] for seven days, after you have gathered your harvest from the threshing floor and winepress [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:33–36]. ¹⁴ Everybody should rejoice at your ·Feast [Festival]: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows who live in your ·towns [^Lgates]. ¹⁵ Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] to the Lord your God for seven days at the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7], because the Lord your God will bless all your ·harvest [yield; produce] and all the work ·you do [^Lof your hands], and you will be completely happy.

¹⁶ All your men must ·come [^Lappear] before the Lord three times a year to the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7]. They must come at these times: the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread [^Canother name for Passover], the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks, and the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles]. No man should come before the Lord ·without a gift [empty-handed]. ¹⁷ Each of you must bring a gift that will show how much the Lord your God has blessed you.

Judges for the People

¹⁸ Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every ·town [^Lgate] the Lord your God is giving you; they must judge the people fairly. ¹⁹ Do not ·judge unfairly [distort justice] or ·take sides [show partiality/favoritism]. Do not ·let people pay you to make wrong decisions [take bribes], because ·that kind of payment [bribes] makes wise people seem blind, and it ·changes the words of good people [undermines the cause of the innocent; Ex. 23:8; Ps. 5:5; Prov. 6:35; 17:8, 23; 21:14; Eccl. 7:7]. ²⁰ Do [pursue] what is ·right [righteous] so that you will live and ·always have [possess] the land the Lord your God is giving you.

God Hates Idols

²¹ Do not set up a wooden ·Asherah idol [^LAsherah; 7:5; Judg. 3:7] next to the altar you build for the Lord your God, ²² and do not set up holy stone pillars. The Lord your God hates them.