This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.p>

You are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days<n id="1" /> you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for at that time<n id="2" /> you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before<n id="3" /> me empty-handed.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;On<n id="1" /> the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the <sc>Lordsc> for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest.

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work, and you must keep a festival to the <sc>Lordsc> for seven days.

However, there is an annual festival to the <sc>Lordsc> in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel<n id="1" /> (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen)<n id="1" /> Jeroboam<n id="2" /> offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel.<n id="3" /> He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.

<p class="bodytext">The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the <sc>Lordsc> every day with all their might.<n id="1" />

They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the <sc>Lordsc> had given them joy and had changed the opinion<n id="1" /> of the king of Assyria<n id="2" /> toward them, so that he assisted<n id="3" /> them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.p>

Ezra<n id="1" /> read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last.<n id="2" /> They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly<n id="3" /> as was required.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all, and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles.<n id="1" />

If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain &#8211; instead there will be the kind of plague which the <sc>Lordsc> inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,<n id="1" /> like the festival celebrated in Judah.<n id="2" /> On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made.<n id="3" /> In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.p>