The Appointed Festivals

23 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals,^(A) the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.^(B)

The Sabbath

³ “‘There are six days when you may work,^(C) but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,^(D) a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work;^(E) wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(F)

⁴ “‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:^{(G) 5} The Lord’s Passover^(H) begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.^{(I) 6} On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread^(J) begins; for seven days^(K) you must eat bread made without yeast. ⁷ On the first day hold a sacred assembly^(L) and do no regular work. ⁸ For seven days present a food offering to the Lord.^(M) And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’”

Offering the Firstfruits

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you^(N) and you reap its harvest,^(O) bring to the priest a sheaf^(P) of the first grain you harvest.^{(Q) 11} He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord^(R) so it will be accepted^(S) on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.

The Day of Atonement^(A)

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁷ “The tenth day of this seventh month^(B) is the Day of Atonement.^(C) Hold a sacred assembly^(D) and deny yourselves,^[a] and present a food offering to the Lord. ²⁸ Do not do any work^(E) on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. ²⁹ Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.^{(F) 30} I will destroy from among their people^(G) anyone who does any work on that day. ³¹ You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance^(H) for the generations to come, wherever you live. ³² It is a day of sabbath rest^(I) for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”^(J)

The Festival of Tabernacles^(K)

³³ The Lord said to Moses, ³⁴ “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh^(L) month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles^(M) begins, and it lasts for seven days. ³⁵ The first day is a sacred assembly;^(N) do no regular work.^{(O) 36} For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly^(P) and present a food offering to the Lord.^(Q) It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

³⁷ (“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings^(R) required for each day. ³⁸ These offerings^(S) are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths^(T) and^[b] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings^(U) you give to the Lord.)

Psalm 81^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of Asaph.

⁵⁴ Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,^(A) and they were amazed.^(B) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵ “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?^(C) Isn’t his mother’s^(D) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers^(E) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense^(F) at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”^(G)

⁵⁸ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.