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Deuteronomy 16
Living Bible
Deuteronomy 16
Living Bible
16 “Always remember to celebrate the Passover during the month of April,[a] for that was when Jehovah your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Your Passover sacrifice shall be either a lamb or an ox, sacrificed to the Lord your God at his sanctuary. 3 Eat the sacrifice with unleavened bread. Eat unleavened bread for seven days as a reminder of the bread you ate as you escaped from Egypt. This is to remind you that you left Egypt in such a hurry that there was no time for the bread to rise.[b] Remember that day all the rest of your lives! 4 For seven days no trace of yeast shall be in your homes, and none of the Passover lamb shall be left until the next morning.
5 “The Passover is not to be eaten in your homes. 6 It must be eaten at the place the Lord shall choose as his sanctuary. Sacrifice it there on the anniversary evening just as the sun goes down. 7 Roast the lamb and eat it, then start back to your homes the next morning. 8 For the following six days you shall eat no bread made with yeast. On the seventh day there shall be a quiet gathering of the people of each city before the Lord your God. Don’t do any work that day.
9 “Seven weeks after the harvest begins, 10 there shall be another festival before the Lord your God called the Festival of Weeks. At that time bring to him a freewill offering proportionate in size to his blessing upon you as judged by the amount of your harvest. 11 It is a time to rejoice before the Lord with your family and household. And don’t forget to include the local Levites, foreigners, widows, and orphans. Invite them to accompany you to the celebration at the sanctuary. 12 Remember! You were a slave in Egypt, so be sure to carry out this command.
13 “Another celebration, the Festival of Shelters, must be observed for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain is threshed and the grapes have been pressed. 14 This will be a happy time of rejoicing together with your family and servants. And don’t forget to include the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows of your town.
15 “This feast will be held at the sanctuary, which will be located at the place the Lord will designate. It is a time of deep thanksgiving to the Lord for blessing you with a good harvest and in so many other ways; it shall be a time of great joy.
16 “Every man in Israel shall appear before the Lord your God three times a year at the sanctuary for these festivals:
The Festival of Unleavened Bread,
The Festival of Weeks,
The Festival of Shelters.
“On each of these occasions bring a gift to the Lord. 17 Give as you are able, according as the Lord has blessed you.
18 “Appoint judges and administrative officials for all the cities the Lord your God is giving you. They will administer justice in every part of the land. 19 Never twist justice to benefit a rich man, and never accept bribes. For bribes blind the eyes of the wisest and corrupt their decisions. 20 Justice must prevail.
“That is the only way you will be successful in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
21 “Never, under any circumstances, are you to erect shameful images beside the altar of the Lord your God. 22 And never set up stone pillars to worship them, for the Lord hates them!
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 16:1 the month of April, literally, “Abib”—the first month of the Hebrew calendar.
- Deuteronomy 16:3 you left Egypt in such a hurry that there was no time for the bread to rise, literally, “for you left Egypt in hurried flight.”
Deuteronomy 16
New American Standard Bible 1995
Deuteronomy 16
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Feasts of Passover, of Weeks, and of Booths
16 “Observe (A)the month of Abib and [a](B)celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name. 3 (C)You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember (D)all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4 For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and (E)none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. 5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your [b]towns which the Lord your God is giving you; 6 but (F)at the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. 7 You shall (G)cook and eat it in the place which the Lord your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and (H)on the seventh day there shall be (I)a solemn assembly to the Lord your God; you shall do no work on it.
9 “(J)You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall [c]celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you; 11 and you shall (K)rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and (L)the Levite who is in your [d]town, and (M)the stranger and the [e]orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. 12 (N)You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
13 “(O)You shall [f]celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; 14 and you shall (P)rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the [g]orphan and the widow who are in your [h]towns. 15 Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
16 “(Q)Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and (R)they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man [i]shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.
18 “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your [j]towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 (S)You shall not distort justice; (T)you shall not [k]be partial, and (U)you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that (V)you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
21 “(W)You shall not plant for yourself an [l]Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make for yourself. 22 (X)You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the Lord your God hates.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 16:1 Lit perform
- Deuteronomy 16:5 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 16:10 Lit perform
- Deuteronomy 16:11 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 16:11 Or fatherless
- Deuteronomy 16:13 Lit perform
- Deuteronomy 16:14 Or fatherless
- Deuteronomy 16:14 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 16:17 Lit according to the gift of his hand
- Deuteronomy 16:18 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 16:19 Lit regard persons
- Deuteronomy 16:21 I.e. wooden symbol of a female deity
Deuteronomy 16
New International Version
Deuteronomy 16
New International Version
The Passover(A)
16 Observe the month of Aviv(B) and celebrate the Passover(C) of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name.(D) 3 Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction,(E) because you left Egypt in haste(F)—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.(G) 4 Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening(H) of the first day remain until morning.(I)
5 You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you 6 except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary[a](J) of your departure from Egypt. 7 Roast(K) it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. 8 For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly(L) to the Lord your God and do no work.(M)
The Festival of Weeks(N)
9 Count off seven weeks(O) from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.(P) 10 Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. 11 And rejoice(Q) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name(R)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites(S) in your towns, and the foreigners,(T) the fatherless and the widows living among you.(U) 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,(V) and follow carefully these decrees.
The Festival of Tabernacles(W)
13 Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor(X) and your winepress.(Y) 14 Be joyful(Z) at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. 15 For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy(AA) will be complete.
16 Three times a year all your men must appear(AB) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(AC) the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.(AD) No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:(AE) 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.
Judges
18 Appoint judges(AF) and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.(AG) 19 Do not pervert justice(AH) or show partiality.(AI) Do not accept a bribe,(AJ) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Worshiping Other Gods
21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole(AK) beside the altar you build to the Lord your God,(AL) 22 and do not erect a sacred stone,(AM) for these the Lord your God hates.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 16:6 Or down, at the time of day
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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