Leviticus 23

Introduction to the Festivals

1 The Lord spoke to Moses.

2 Tell the Israelites, these are My appointed festivals, the holy gatherings you must observe as My set times.

The Sabbath

3 You have six days to do your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy gathering. You must not do any work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord wherever you live.

The Passover & Festival of Unleavened Bread

4 These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, holy gatherings that must be observed at their proper times.

5 The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.

6 On the fifteenth day of that month, the Festival of Unleavened Bread begins. For seven days, you must eat bread made without yeast.

7 On the first day, hold a holy gathering and do no regular work.

8 For seven days, bring food offerings to the Lord. On the seventh day, hold another holy gathering and do no regular work.

The Offering of Firstfruits

9 The Lord told Moses.

10 Tell the Israelites, when you enter the land I am giving you and harvest your crops, bring a bundle of the first grain to the priest.

11 The priest must wave it before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath so that it will be accepted.

12 On that same day, sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the Lord.

13 Bring a grain offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and a drink offering of a quart of wine.

14 Do not eat any bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until you bring this offering to your God. This law is permanent for all generations.

The Festival of Weeks (Pentecost)

15 From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the first grain offering, count seven full weeks.

16 Count fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, then present a new grain offering to the Lord.

17 Bring two loaves of bread made with fine flour, baked with yeast, as a firstfruits offering to the Lord.

18 Along with the bread, bring seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the Lord. With the grain and drink offerings, they will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

19 Also, sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering.

20 The priest will wave the lambs before the Lord along with the bread of the firstfruits as a special offering. These are holy and belong to the priest.

21 On that same day, hold a holy gathering and do no regular work. This law is permanent for all generations.

22 When you harvest your fields, leave some for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

The Festival of Trumpets

23 The Lord told Moses.

24 Tell the Israelites, on the first day of the seventh month, have a day of rest, a holy gathering with trumpet blasts.

25 Do not do any regular work and bring a food offering to the Lord.

The Day of Atonement

26 The Lord told Moses.

27 On the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a holy gathering, humble yourselves, and bring a food offering to the Lord.

28 Do not do any work on that day because it is a day of atonement to cleanse you before the Lord your God.

29 Anyone who does not humble themselves on that day must be cut off from the people.

30 Anyone who does any work on that day, I will destroy them from among their people.

31 Do no work at all. This law is permanent for all generations.

32 It is a Sabbath of complete rest. From the evening of the ninth day to the evening of the tenth, you must observe this Sabbath.

The Festival of Booths (Tabernacles)

33 The Lord told Moses.

34 Tell the Israelites, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Festival of Booths begins. It lasts for seven days to the Lord.

35 On the first day, hold a holy gathering and do no regular work.

36 For seven days, bring food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day, hold another holy gathering and bring a food offering. It is a special gathering, so do no regular work.

37 These are the Lord’s appointed festivals. You must announce them as holy gatherings to bring food offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and drink offerings, as commanded for each day.

38 This is in addition to the Lord’s Sabbaths, gifts, vows, and freewill offerings that you bring to the Lord.

39 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered your harvest, celebrate the Lord’s festival for seven days. The first day is a Sabbath rest, and the eighth day is also a rest.

40 On the first day, take branches from beautiful trees, palm trees, willows, and leafy branches, and rejoice before the Lord for seven days.

41 Celebrate this festival every year as a permanent law.

42 Live in booths for seven days. All native-born Israelites must live in booths.

43 This is to remind every generation that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Final Instruction

44 Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord.