Noah’s Sacrifice and Covenant

1 And on the new moon of the third month he went out from the ark, and built an altar on that mountain. 2 And he made atonement for the earth, and took a young goat and made atonement by its blood for all the guilt of the earth; for everything that had been on it had been destroyed, except those that were in the ark with Noah.⁠a 3 And he placed its fat on the altar, and he took an ox, and a goat, and a sheep and young goats, and salt, and a turtledove, and the young of a dove, and placed a burnt sacrifice on the altar, and poured on it an offering mixed with oil, and sprinkled wine and scattered frankincense over everything, and caused a pleasing aroma to arise, acceptable before the Lord. 4 And the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, and He made a covenant with him that there should not be a flood any more to destroy the earth; that all the days of the earth seedtime and harvest should never cease; cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night should not change their order, nor cease forever. 5 'And you, increase and multiply upon the earth, and become many upon it, and be a blessing upon it. I will inspire fear and dread of you in everything that is on earth and in the sea. 6 And look, I have given to you all animals, and all winged things, and everything that moves on the earth, and the fish in the waters, and all things for food; as the green herbs, I have given you all things to eat. 7 But flesh, with its life, with the blood, you shall not eat; for the life of all flesh is in the blood, so that your own lifeblood will not be demanded. At the hand of every man, at the hand of every (animal) I will demand the blood of man. 8 Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. 9 And you, increase, and multiply on the earth.' 10 And Noah and his sons swore that they would not eat any blood that was in any flesh, and he made a covenant before the Lord God forever throughout all the generations of the earth in this month. 11 For this reason He spoke to you that you should make a covenant with the children of Israel in this month upon the mountain with an oath, and that you should sprinkle blood upon them⁠b because of all the words of the covenant, which the Lord made with them forever. 12 And this testimony is written concerning you that you should observe it continually, so that you should not eat on any day any blood of wild animals or birds or cattle during all the days of the earth, and the man who eats the blood of wild animals or of cattle or of birds during all the days of the earth, he and his descendants shall be rooted out of the land. 13 And command the children of Israel to eat no blood, so that their names and their descendants may be before the Lord our God continually. 14 And for this commandment there is no limit of days, for it is forever. They shall observe it throughout their generations, so that they may continue pleading on their own behalf with blood before the altar; every day and at the time of morning and evening they shall seek forgiveness on their own behalf continually before the Lord so that they may keep it and not be rooted out.

The Festival of Weeks

15 And He gave to Noah and his sons a sign that there should not again be a flood on the earth. 16 He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that there should not again be a flood on the earth to destroy it all the days of the earth. 17 For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month once a year, to renew the covenant every year. 18 And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of creation until the days of Noah — twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years [1309]: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, until the day of Noah's death [1659], and from the day of Noah's death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they ate blood. 19 But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to your days, and in your days the children of Israel forgot it until you celebrated it again on this mountain. 20 And command the children of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment to them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the festival. 21 For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraved concerning it, celebrate it. 22 For I have written in the book of the first Torah, in that which I have written for you, that you should celebrate it in its season, one day in the year, and I explained to you its sacrifices that the children of Israel should remember and should celebrate it throughout their generations in this month, one day in every year.

The Four Memorial Days

23 And on the new moon of the first month, and on the new moon of the fourth month, and on the new moon of the seventh month, and on the new moon of the tenth month are the days of remembrance, and the days of the seasons in the four divisions of the year. These are written and ordained as a testimony forever. 24 And Noah ordained them for himself as feasts for the generations forever, so that they have become by this a memorial to him. 25 And on the new moon of the first month he was commanded to make for himself an ark, and on that (day) the earth became dry and he opened (the ark) and saw the earth. 26 And on the new moon of the fourth month the mouths of the depths of the abyss beneath were closed. And on the new moon of the seventh month all the mouths of the abysses of the earth were opened, and the waters began to descend into them. 27 And on the new moon of the tenth month the tops of the mountains were seen, and Noah was glad. 28 And for this reason he ordained them for himself as feasts for a memorial forever, and thus they are ordained. 29 And they placed them on the heavenly tablets, each had thirteen weeks; from one to another (passed) their memorial, from the first to the second, and from the second to the third, and from the third to the fourth. 30 And all the days of the commandment will be fifty-two weeks of days, and (these will make) the entire year complete. 31 Thus it is engraved and ordained on the heavenly tablets. And there is no neglecting (this commandment) for a single year or from year to year.

The Sacred Calendar

32 And command the children of Israel that they observe the years according to this count — three hundred and sixty-four days,⁠c and (these) will constitute a complete year, and they will not disturb its time from its days and from its feasts; for everything will happen in them according to their testimony, and they will not leave out any day nor disturb any feasts. 33 But if they do neglect and do not observe them according to His commandment, then they will disturb all their seasons and the years will be dislodged from this (order), [and they will disturb the seasons and the years will be dislodged] and they will neglect their ordinances. 34 And all the children of Israel will forget and will not find the path of the years, and will forget the new moons, and seasons, and sabbaths and they will go wrong as to all the order of the years. 35 For I know and from now on I will declare it to you, and it is not something I invented; for the book (lies) written before me, and on the heavenly tablets the division of days is ordained, so that they do not forget the feasts of the covenant and follow the festivals of the nations after their error and after their ignorance. 36 For there will be those who will certainly make observations of the moon — how (it) disturbs the seasons and comes in from year to year ten days too soon.⁠d 37 For this reason the years will come upon them when they will disturb (the order), and make an abominable (day) the day of testimony, and an unclean day a feast day, and they will mix up all the days, the holy with the unclean, and the unclean day with the holy; for they will go wrong as to the months and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees. 38 For this reason I command and testify to you that you may testify to them; for after your death your children will disturb (them), so that they will not make the year three hundred and sixty-four days only, and for this reason they will go wrong as to the new moons and seasons and sabbaths and festivals, and they will eat all kinds of blood with all kinds of flesh.