23:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘These are the Lord’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies – my appointed times: 1
23:3 “‘Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, 2 a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.
23:4 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed times, holy assemblies, which you must proclaim at their appointed time. 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, 3 is a Passover offering to the Lord. 23:6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month 4 will be the festival of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 23:7 On the first day there will be a holy assembly for you; you must not do any regular work. 5 23:8 You must present a gift to the Lord for seven days, and the seventh day is a holy assembly; you must not do any regular work.’”
23:9 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest, 6 then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest 7 to the priest, 23:11 and he must wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for your benefit 8 – on the day after the Sabbath the priest is to wave it. 9
1 tn Heb “these are them, my appointed times.”
2 tn This is a superlative expression, emphasizing the full and all inclusive rest of the Sabbath and certain festival times throughout the chapter (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 155). Cf. ASV “a sabbath of solemn rest.”
3 tn Heb “between the two evenings,” perhaps designating the time between the setting of the sun and the true darkness of night. Cf. KJV, ASV “at even”; NAB “at the evening twilight.”
4 tn Heb “to this month.”
5 tn Heb “work of service”; KJV “servile work”; NASB “laborious work”; TEV “daily work.”
6 tn Heb “and you harvest its harvest.”
7 tn Heb “the sheaf of the first of your harvest.”
8 tn Heb “for your acceptance.”
9 sn See Lev 7:30 for a note on the “waving” of a “wave offering.”