Rules about the Festival of First Harvest
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 ‘Tell Israel's people, “When you go into the land that I will give you, crops will grow there. When you bring home the crops at harvest time, you must take some of the first grain to the priest. 11 He will lift up the grain as a special offering to the Lord. The Lord will accept your gift. The priest will do this on the day after the Sabbath day.
12 On the same day, you must also bring a perfect lamb that is one year old. That will be a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 You must also bring two tenths of an ephah of the best flour that is mixed with olive oil. That will be your gift to the Lord. The smell of this offering will give pleasure to the Lord. You must also offer 1 litre of wine as a drink offering. 14 You must not eat any of the new grain until you have done this. You must not use the grain to make bread. You must not cook it. Wait until the day that you bring the offering to your God. Then you may eat the grain. This is a rule that will continue for ever, in all the places where you live.
23:13Two tenths of an ephah is about 4 litres.
Rules about the Festival of Weeks
15 Count seven weeks from the day when the priest has made this offering of grain. 16 You must count until the day after the seventh Sabbath day. That will be 50 days. Then you must bring another grain offering to the Lord. 17 Each family must bring from their homes two loaves of bread as a special gift to the Lord. You must use two tenths of an ephah of good flour and yeast to make the bread. This is a gift to the Lord from the first crops of your harvest.
18 As well as the bread, the whole group of people must bring seven perfect lambs that are one year old. They must bring a young bull and two male sheep. These animals will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with the grain offering and the drink offerings. The smell of these offerings while they are burning will give pleasure to the Lord. 19 You must also offer one male goat as a sin offering. And you must offer two lambs that are one year old as a friendship offering. 20 The priest will lift up the two lambs and the bread as a special gift to the Lord. They are a holy offering to the Lord that belongs to the priests.
21 On that day, you must not do any of your usual work. It is a day when you must meet together to worship the Lord. This is a rule that will continue for ever, in all the places where you live.
23:21This day is called ‘ Pentecost’. The word ‘Pentecost’ means ‘50th’.
22 At harvest time, when you cut the crops on your land, do not cut to the edge of your field. Do not pick up the grain that falls onto the ground. Leave some of the grain for the poor people and for the foreign people who live among you. I am the Lord your God.” ’
Rules about the Festival of Trumpets
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 ‘Tell Israel's people, “Each year, on the first day of the seventh month, you must have a complete rest. When you hear the sound of trumpets you must meet together to worship the Lord. 25 You must not do any of your usual work on that day. Instead, you must bring special offerings to the Lord.” ’
