Deuteronomy

Moses gives speeches about laws and the importance of following God before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

Chapter 16

1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

*Follow the month of Abib and celebrate Passover for your God: this is when God saved you from Egypt at night.

2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.

*You must offer the Passover sacrifice to God in the place where he chooses to put his name. This should be done using animals from your flock or herd.

3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

*You shall not eat yeast bread with it; for seven days, you must eat unleavened bread, the bread of suffering. This is because you left Egypt in a hurry. Doing this will help you remember the day you left Egypt for your entire life.

4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.

*No yeast bread is allowed for a week; and whatever meat you sacrificed on the first day in the evening must be eaten that same night, not left until morning.

5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:

*You cannot offer the Passover sacrifice at any of your city gates that the Lord gives you.

6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

*But at the spot where your God picks for placing His name, offer the Passover sacrifice when the sun sets, as you did when leaving Egypt.

7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.

*And you will cook and eat it at the place your God chooses. In the morning, you will leave and return to your tents.

8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

*For six days, eat bread without yeast. On the seventh day, have a special gathering for God - don't work on that day.

9 Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

*Count for seven weeks, starting when you start harvesting the grain with a sickle.

10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

*And you should celebrate the festival of weeks to your God, giving a voluntary gift from your hand to the Lord your God. The amount you give should be based on how much the Lord has blessed you.

11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

*Rejoice before God with your child, servant, and worker, as well as the Levites living near you, plus anyone foreign, without a dad, or a widow in your community. This celebration happens at the special location God picked for His name to be there.

12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

*And you will recall being a slave in Egypt, and you must follow and obey these rules.

13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:

*You shall celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have harvested your grain and grape juice.

14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

*And you will be happy at your celebration, you and your child, girl child, your worker, and your helper, the Levite, the newcomer, the orphan, and the woman whose husband is gone, all who live in your town.

15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

*For seven days, celebrate happily for the LORD in the place they choose, because they will bless you in everything you do and produce. You must truly enjoy this time.

16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

*Once a year, all your male family members should go to the special place chosen by God during three celebrations - the festival of unleavened bread, the festival of weeks, and the festival of tabernacles. They must not go empty-handed; they should bring offerings with them.

17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

*Every person should give what they can, based on the luck and wealth the LORD has given them.

18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

*Make judges and officials at all your city gates that the Lord gives you, across all your tribes, and they must fairly judge the people.

19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

*Do not be unfair; treat everyone equally, and don't accept bribes. Bribes can make wise people blind and twist the truth.

20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

*Follow what is completely fair, so you can live and take possession of the land that the Lord gives you.

21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

*Do not plant any trees close to the Lord's altar that you build.

22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

*Do not create any images that your God hates.

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