Deuteronomy 16

1-4 Observe the month of Abib by celebrating the Passover toGod, your God. It was in the month of Abib thatGod, your God, delivered you by night from Egypt. Offer the Passover-Sacrifice toGod, your God, at the placeGodchooses to be worshiped by establishing his name there. Don’t eat yeast bread with it; for seven days eat it with unraised bread, hard-times bread, because you left Egypt in a hurry—that bread will keep the memory fresh of how you left Egypt for as long as you live. There is to be no sign of yeast anywhere for seven days. And don’t let any of the meat that you sacrifice in the evening be left over until morning.

5-7 Don’t sacrifice the Passover in any of the towns thatGod, your God, gives you other than the oneGod, your God, designates for worship; there and there only you will offer the Passover-Sacrifice at evening as the sun goes down, marking the time that you left Egypt. Boil and eat it at the place designated byGod, your God. Then, at daybreak, turn around and go home.

8 Eat unraised bread for six days. Set aside the seventh day as a holiday; don’t do any work.

9-11 Starting from the day you put the sickle to the ripe grain, count out seven weeks. Celebrate the Feast-of-Weeks toGod, your God, by bringing your Freewill-Offering—give as generously asGod, your God, has blessed you. Rejoice in the Presence ofGod, your God: you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, the Levite who lives in your neighborhood, the foreigner, the orphan and widow among you; rejoice at the placeGod, your God, will set aside to be worshiped.

12 Don’t forget that you were once a slave in Egypt. So be diligent in observing these regulations.

13-15 Observe the Feast-of-Booths for seven days when you gather the harvest from your threshing-floor and your wine-vat. Rejoice at your festival: you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, the Levite, the foreigner, and the orphans and widows who live in your neighborhood. Celebrate the Feast toGod, your God, for seven days at the placeGoddesignates.God, your God, has been blessing you in your harvest and in all your work, so make a day of it—really celebrate!

16-17 All your men must appear beforeGod, your God, three times each year at the place he designates: at the Feast-of-Unraised-Bread (Passover), at the Feast-of-Weeks, and at the Feast-of-Booths. No one is to show up in the Presence ofGodempty-handed; each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to the blessings ofGod, your God.

18-19 Appoint judges and officers, organized by tribes, in all the towns thatGod, your God, is giving you. They are to judge the people fairly and honestly. Don’t twist the law. Don’t play favorites. Don’t take a bribe—a bribe blinds even a wise person; it undermines the intentions of the best of people.

20 The right! The right! Pursue only what’s right! It’s the only way you can really live and possess the land thatGod, your God, is giving you.

21-22 Don’t plant fertility Asherah trees alongside the Altar ofGod, your God, that you build. Don’t set up phallic sex pillars—God, your God, hates them.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/DEU/16-d4347f28f2e6c667c9ace20c9ba6a1c2.mp3?version_id=97—

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