You shall consume the tithes of your new grain and wine and oil, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the ETERNAL your God, in the place where [God] will choose to establish the divine name, so that you may learn to revere the ETERNAL your God forever.
Should the distance be too great for you, should you be unable to transport them, because the place where the ETERNAL your God has chosen to establish the divine name is far from you and because the ETERNAL your God has blessed you,ehas blessed you I.e., with abundant crops.
and spend the money on anything you want—cattle, sheep, wine, or other intoxicant, or anything you may desire. And you shall feast there, in the presence of the ETERNAL your God, and rejoice with your household.
Every third yeargEvery third year Lit. “After a period of three years”; cf. 26.12. you shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year, but leave it within your settlements.
Then the Levite, who has no hereditary portion as you have, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your settlements shall come and eat their fill, so that the ETERNAL your God may bless you in all the enterprises you undertake.
מִקֵּ֥ץ שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֖ים תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה שְׁמִטָּֽה׃
Sixth שישי
Every seventh yearaEvery seventh year Lit. “After a period of seven years”; cf. 14.28. you shall practice remission of debts.
This shall be the nature of the remission: all creditors shall remit the due that they claim from their fellow Israelites; they shall not dun their fellow Israelites—their kindred—for the remission proclaimed is of GOD.
There shall be no needy among you—since the ETERNAL your God will bless you in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you as a hereditary portion—
For the ETERNAL your God will bless you as promised: you will extend loans to many nations, but require none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you.
If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kindred in any of your settlements in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kindred.
Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean and give nothing to your needy kindred—who will cry out to GOD against you, and you will incur guilt.
When you do set them free, do not feel aggrieved; for in the six years you have been given double the service of a hired worker. Moreover, the ETERNAL your God will bless you in all you do.
YoubYou See note at 12.5. shall consecrate to the ETERNAL your God all male firstlings that are born in your herd and in your flock: you must not work your firstling ox or shear your firstling sheep.
Observe the monthamonth Cf. Exod. 13.4; 23.15; 34.18. of Abib and offer a passover sacrifice to the ETERNAL your God, for it was in the monthbmonth See previous note. of Abib, at night, that the ETERNAL your God freed you from Egypt.
You shall slaughter the passover sacrifice for the ETERNAL your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where GOD will choose to establish the divine name.
You shall not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereaftercthereafter Lit. “upon it.” you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distress—for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live.
For seven days no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh of what you slaughter on the evening of the first day shall be left until morning.
but at the place where the ETERNAL your God will choose to establish the divine name, there alone shall you slaughter the passover sacrifice, in the evening, at sundown, the time of day when you departed from Egypt.
After eating unleavened bread six days, you shall hold a solemn gatheringdsolemn gathering Precise meaning of Heb. ʻaṣereth uncertain. Cf. Lev. 23.36; Num. 29.35. for the ETERNAL your God on the seventh day: you shall do no work.
Then you shall observe the Feast of Weeks for the ETERNAL your God, offering your freewill contribution according as the ETERNAL your God has blessed you.
YoueYou See note at 12.5. shall rejoice before the ETERNAL your God with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levitefthe Levite See the second note at 12.12. in your communities, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your midst, at the place where the ETERNAL your God will choose to establish the divine name.
YougYou See note at 12.5. shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite,hthe Levite See the second note at 12.12. the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities.
You shall hold a festival for the ETERNAL your God seven days, in the place that GOD will choose; for the ETERNAL your God will bless alliall Lit. “you in all.” your crops and all your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy.
Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before the ETERNAL your God in the place that [God] will choose. They shall not appear before GOD empty-handed,