Deuteronomy 16: Three Joyful Feasts

Moses describes three yearly feasts at the place God chooses: Passover with unleavened bread to remember leaving Egypt in haste, the Feast of Weeks after the grain harvest, and the Feast of Booths after the harvest of the threshing floor and wine press. All households, including servants, Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, are to rejoice. Judges must judge fairly and never take bribes.

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Read Deuteronomy 16

World English Bible · 22 verses

¹ Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to Yahweh your God; for in the month of Abib Yahweh your God brought you out of Egypt by night.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
² You shall sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
³ You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste) that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the meat, which you sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you;This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ but at the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came out of Egypt.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ You shall roast and eat it in the place which Yahweh your God chooses. In the morning you shall return to your tents.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ Six days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to count seven weeks.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ You shall keep the feast of weeks to Yahweh your God with a tribute of a free will offering of your hand, which you shall give according to how Yahweh your God blesses you.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall observe and do these statutes.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹³ You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁴ You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁵ You shall keep a feast to Yahweh your God seven days in the place which Yahweh chooses, because Yahweh your God will bless you in all your increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁶ Three times in a year all of your males shall appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he chooses: in the feast of unleavened bread, in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths. They shall not appear before Yahweh empty.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁷ Every man shall give as he is able, according to Yahweh your God’s blessing which he has given you.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁸ You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁹ You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁰ You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which Yahweh your God gives you.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²¹ You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside Yahweh your God’s altar, which you shall make for yourselves.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²² Neither shall you set yourself up a sacred stone which Yahweh your God hates.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

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Deuteronomy 16 · Preschool

A Happy Feast

Name Date

Color the tent and the grapes! God's people had happy feasts.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“You shall keep a feast to Yahweh your God seven days in the place which Yahweh chooses, because Yahweh your God will bless you in all your increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful.”

Deuteronomy 16:15 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: God wants His people to be glad and thank Him.

Open Grade 4 on its own page

Deuteronomy 16 · Grade 4

Israel's Calendar of Joy

Name Date

Read and Think

Deuteronomy 16 lists three pilgrim feasts held at the place God would choose. Passover remembered the night God brought Israel out of Egypt. The unleavened bread, called the bread of affliction, recalled their hasty escape. Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples and gave it new meaning; Paul calls Christ our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The Feast of Weeks came seven weeks after the grain harvest began, and the Feast of Booths followed the final harvest. Both were times of rejoicing. Moses carefully names who should rejoice: sons and daughters, servants, Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. No one was to be left out.

Each person gave as he was able, according to God's blessing. The chapter then turns to justice. Judges must not pervert justice, show partiality, or take bribes, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise. Justice, justice you shall follow, so that Israel might live in the land.

Show What You Know

What did Passover remember?
What does Paul call Christ?
Who was included in the rejoicing?
Why must judges not take bribes?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

breadGodPassoverrejoiceWeeks

Deuteronomy 16 lists three pilgrim feasts held at the place would choose.
remembered the night God brought Israel out of Egypt.
The unleavened , called the bread of affliction, recalled their hasty escape.
The Feast of came seven weeks after the grain harvest began, and the Feast of Booths followed the final harvest.
Moses carefully names who should : sons and daughters, servants, Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.

Think About It

Why do you think God built celebrations into Israel's year?
How could you include someone who might feel left out of a celebration?

Memory Verse

Deuteronomy 16:15 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for joy. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How does Passover point to Jesus?
Why does God care about both worship and justice?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

Deuteronomy 16 · Grade 5

Feasts, Gifts, and Justice

Name Date

Read and Think

Deuteronomy 16 orders Israel's year around three pilgrim feasts at the central sanctuary. Passover in the month of Abib remembered the exodus by night. Unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, was eaten for seven days, so that Israel would remember the day they came out of Egypt all the days of their life. Jesus kept Passover before His death, and Paul writes that Christ our Passover has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The Feast of Weeks began seven weeks after the sickle first touched the grain, and later became Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2). The Feast of Booths followed the final harvest and lasted seven days. Both feasts commanded joy, and the guest list was deliberate: children, servants, Levites, foreigners, the fatherless, and widows. Worship that excludes the vulnerable is not the worship God commands.

Three times a year the men appeared before God, and none came empty. Every man shall give as he is able. The chapter then establishes judges in every town. They must not pervert justice, show partiality, or take bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise. Verse 20 repeats the word for emphasis: justice, only justice, you shall follow.

Show What You Know

How long was unleavened bread eaten?
What did the Feast of Weeks later become?
What does the guest list for the feasts show?
What was the rule for giving?
What does verse 20 emphasize?

Crossword

Across

Appoint ____ in all your gates.
Count seven ____.

Down

Remember the night God brought you out of Egypt.
Feast kept for seven days after harvest.
You shall be altogether ____.

Think About It

How do regular celebrations of God's works help us remember Him?
Why does this chapter put worship and justice side by side?

Memory Verse

Deuteronomy 16:15 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for joy. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How can our worship include people who are often left out?
Why does God join justice with worship in this chapter?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

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‹ All Deuteronomy chapters · All books

Deuteronomy 16: Three Joyful Feasts

Read Deuteronomy 16

Worksheets

A Happy Feast

Prayer

Take It Home

Glad at the Feast

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

Three Feasts

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Three Feasts

Prayer

Take It Home

Feasts of Joy

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

Remember and Rejoice

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

Three Feasts

Prayer

Take It Home

Israel's Calendar of Joy

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

Feasts, Gifts, and Justice

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

More print options