New Living Translation

Exodus 23:16-28 New Living Translation (NLT)

16. “Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.“Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields.

17. At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the lord.

18. “You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And do not leave the fat from the festival offerings until the next morning.

19. “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the lord your God.“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

20. “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.

21. Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion.

22. But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.

23. For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely.

24. You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.

25. “You must serve only the lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness.

26. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.

27. “I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run.

28. I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites.