Deuteronomy 16

1 Observe the month of Abib, when thou shalt keep a passover unto Yahweh thy God, —for in the month of Abib, did Yahweh thy God bring thee 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 therefore shalt thou sacrifice a passover unto Yahweh thy God of flock or herd, —in the place which Yahweh shall choose to make a habitation for his name 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 Thou shalt not eat therewith any thing leavened, seven days, shalt thou eat therewith unleavened cakes the bread of humiliation, —for in haste, camest thou forth out of the land of Egypt, that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt, all the days of thy 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 And there shall not be seen with thee leaven in any of thy bounds seven days, —neither shall there remain all night of the flesh which thou shalt sacrifice in the evening, on the first day, unto 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 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover, —within any of thine own gates which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee;

Don't sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you.

6 but in the place which Yahweh thy God shall choose to make a habitation for his name, there, shalt thou sacrifice the passover in the evening, —at the going in of the sun, at the very time thou camest 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 Therefore shalt thou cook and eat it in the place which Yahweh thy God, shall choose, —and shalt turn away in the morning, and go thy way unto thy 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, shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, —and, on the seventh day, shall be a closing feast, unto Yahweh thy God, thou shalt 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 Seven weeks, shalt thou count unto thee, —from the beginning of thrusting in the sickle into the standing corn, shalt thou begin to count, seven weeks.

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

10 So shalt thou keep the festival of weeks unto Yahweh thy God, in the measure of the freewill offering of thy hand which thou shalt give, —as Yahweh thy God shall bless thee.

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 So shalt thou rejoice before Yahweh thy God—thou, and thy son and thy daughter and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow who are in thy midst, —in the place which Yahweh thy God shall choose, to make a habitation for his name 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 So shalt thou remember that a servant, thou wast in Egypt, —and shalt observe and do these statutes.

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

13 The festival of booths, shalt thou keep for thyself seven days, —when thou hast gathered in out of thy threshing-floor and out of thy wine-vat.

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

14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy festival, —thou, and thy son and thy daughter, and thy servant and thy handmaid, and the Levite and the sojourner, and the fatherless and the widow, who are within thy 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 Seven days, shalt thou keep festival unto Yahweh thy God, in the place which Yahweh shall choose, —for Yahweh thy God, will bless thee, in all thine increase and in all the work of thy hands, —therefore shalt thou do nothing but, rejoice.

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 the year, shall each one of thy males see the face of Yahweh thy God, in the place which he shall choose, at the festival of unleavened cakes and at the festival of weeks and at the festival of booths, —and none shall see the face of Yahweh empty-handed:

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 according as his hand can give, —according to the blessing of Yahweh thy God, which he hath bestowed upon thee.

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

18 Judges and officers, shalt thou appoint thee in all thy gates, which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, by thy 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 Thou shalt not wrest judgment, thou shalt not take note of faces, —nor shalt thou accept a bribe, for the bribe, blindeth the eyes of wise men, and perverteth the words of righteous men.

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 What is right, what is right, shalt thou pursue, —that thou mayest live and possess the land, which, Yahweh thy God, is giving unto thee.

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 Thou shalt not plant thee, as a sacred stem, any tree, —near unto the altar of Yahweh thy God which thou shalt make for thyself;

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

22 neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar, —which Yahweh thy God, doth hate.

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