Deuteronomy 16

1 Observe [keep, watch over] the month of Abib [the month of new corn, the first of the spring] and celebrate [keep, make] the Passover [the Jewish festival, the animal sacrificed] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], because [for, since] in the month of Abib [the month of the exodus and passover] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] brought you out [led you forth, rescued you] of Egypt [the land of the Nile, a country in northeastern Africa] by night [in the darkness, a period of rest]. word study 2 You are to offer [sacrifice, slaughter as an offering] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] the Passover [the Jewish festival, a time of remembrance] sacrifice [an animal offered to God] from the herd [cattle, oxen] or flock [sheep, goats] in the place [a location, a dwelling] the LORD [Yehovah] will choose [select, elect] as a dwelling [a place to live, a resting place] for His Name [His identity, character, and honor]. word study 3 You must not [under any circumstances] eat leavened bread [containing yeast] with it; for seven days you are to eat with it unleavened bread [a sweet bread made without yeast], the bread of affliction, because you left [came out of, departed from] the land of Egypt [a place of slavery, oppression] in haste [a state of urgent hurry, due to fear]—so that you may remember [recall, meditate on] for the rest of your life [all your days, until the end of your earthly existence] the day you left [came out of, departed from] the land of Egypt [a place of slavery, oppression]. word study 4 No leaven [yeast] is to be found in all [every part of] your land [territory, borders] for seven days, and none of the meat [flesh, animal sacrifice] you sacrifice [offer, slaughter] in the evening [at sunset, toward nightfall] of the first [primary, initial] day shall remain [stay, be left] until morning [dawn, the break of day]. word study 5 You are not [unable, without power] to sacrifice [slaughter, offer] the Passover [the Jewish festival, a commemoration of liberation] animal in any of the towns [cities, gates] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true deity] is giving [providing, bestowing] you. word study 6 You must only offer the Passover [sacrifice of redemption] sacrifice at the place [chosen by God, where His name dwells] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God will choose [select, appoint] as a dwelling [residence, resting place] for His Name [His character, reputation]. Do this in the evening [at sunset, as the day ends] as the sun [the sun; the east or the west] sets, at the same time [season, appointed time] you departed [came out, escaped] from Egypt [the land of bondage, oppression]. word study 7 And you shall roast [cook, boil] it and eat [consume, devour] it in the place [location, sacred site] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] will choose [select, appoint], and in the morning [at dawn, the break of day] you shall return [turn, face] to your tents [nomadic dwellings, places of rest]. word study 8 For [six literal days, a period of six 24-hour periods] six days you must eat unleavened bread [without yeast, made without leaven], and on the [a day of completion] seventh day you shall hold a [sacred] solemn assembly [a gathering, a meeting] to the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God, and you must not do [any labor, no work] any work. word study 9 You are to count off [number and reckon] seven weeks [a period of seven days or years] from the time [when you first begin] you first put [start using] the sickle [a farming tool for cutting, chermesh] to the standing grain [mature and abundant crops, ready for harvest]. word study 10 And you shall celebrate [keep, observe] the Feast [festival, appointed time] of Weeks [a period of seven days] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] with a freewill [voluntary, spontaneous] offering [gift, tribute] that you give [offer, provide] in proportion to [according to, as] how the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] has blessed [praised, honored] you, word study 11 and you shall rejoice [with joy and gratitude] before the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] in the place [location, dwelling] He will choose [select, appoint] as a dwelling [residence, abode] for His Name [His character, reputation]—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants [male slaves] and maidservants [female slaves], and the Levite [a descendant of Levi] within your gates [city entrances], as well as the foreigner [sojourner, stranger], the fatherless [orphan], and the widows [women without husbands] among you. word study 12 Remember [to recall, to mark] that you were [once] slaves [servants, bondmen] in Egypt [a land of bondage], and carefully follow [observe, obey, keep] these statutes [decrees, laws, ordinances]. word study 13 You are to celebrate [keep, observe] the Feast [festival, solemn assembly] of Tabernacles [booths, temporary shelters] for seven days after you have gathered [brought in, harvested] the produce [fruit, crops] of your threshing floor [where grain is separated from chaff] and your winepress [where grapes are crushed, a vat]. word study 14 And you [as an individual, a child of God] shall rejoice [with great joy, celebrate] in your feast [appointed time of celebration, festival]—you, your sons [male descendants, children] and daughters [female descendants, children], your menservants [male slaves, servants] and maidservants [female slaves, servants], and the Levite [a descendant of Levi, a priestly tribe], as well as the foreigner [sojourner, non-Israelite], the fatherless [orphan, child without a father], and the widows [women who have lost their husbands] among you [within your community, gates]. word study 15 For seven days you shall celebrate [observe with joy, keep a festival] a feast [a time of rejoicing, a solemn assembly] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] in the place [a location, a sanctuary] He will choose [select, appoint], because the LORD [Yehovah, the faithful God] your God [the one true God] will bless [bestow favor, prosper] you in all [everything, every aspect] your produce [crops, harvest] and in all [every kind, every part] the work [deeds, labor] of your hands [efforts, endeavors], so that your joy [gladness, delight] will be complete [full, overflowing]. word study 16 Three [thrice, on three occasions] times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] in the place [location, location of worship] He will choose [select, appoint]: at the Feast [festival, celebration] of Unleavened Bread [sweet bread without yeast], the Feast [festival, gathering] of Weeks [a period of seven days], and the Feast [festival, celebration] of Tabernacles [booths, temporary shelters]. No one should appear before the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] empty-handed [without an offering, with nothing to give]. word study 17 Everyone [each person, every individual] must appear with a gift [according to the gift of his hand, a present] as he is able [in proportion to the blessings], according to the blessing [the gift from God, prosperity] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] has given [bestowed, provided] you. word study 18 You are to appoint [choose, select] judges [officials, rulers] and officials [overseers, leaders] for your tribes [clans, families] in every town [city, gate] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [providing, granting] you. They are to judge [govern, vindicate] the people [nation, community] with righteous [just, fair] judgment [justice]. word study 19 Do not deny [refuse or withhold] justice [righteous judgment] or show partiality [favoritism, respect of persons]. Do not accept [take or receive] a bribe [a gift to influence, a corrupting present], for a bribe [a perverting reward] blinds [makes spiritually blind, deceives] the eyes [the understanding, the perception] of the wise [the discerning, the prudent] and twists [perverts, corrupts] the words [the judgments, the decisions] of the righteous [the just, the upright]. word study 20 Pursue [to chase after, follow closely] justice [righteousness, having God’s nature], and justice [uprightness, moral integrity] alone [exclusively, without compromise], so that you may live [have life, be revived], and you may possess [occupy, take control of] the land [the earth, a country] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] is giving [granting, bestowing] you. word study 21 Do not [never, under no circumstances] set up any wooden [made of wood, tree-like] Asherah pole [a wooden pole or grove of the goddess Asherah] next to [beside, near] the altar [a place of sacrifice, a table for offerings] you will build [construct, make] for the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God], word study 22 and do not [by any means, never] set up for yourselves a sacred [stone] pillar [monument, memorial], which [that thing, image] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] hates [intensely dislikes, detests]. word study