Deuteronomy 26
26
1 "And when you will have entered into the land which the Lord your God will give to you to possess, and when you will have obtained it and are living within it:
2 you shall take the first of all your crops, and place them in a basket, and you shall travel to the place which the Lord your God will choose, so that his name may be invoked there.
3 And you shall approach the priest who will be in those days, and you shall say to him: 'I profess this day, before the Lord your God, that I have entered into the land about which he swore to our fathers that he would give it to us.'
4 And the priest, taking up the basket from your hand, shall place it before the altar of the Lord your God.
5 And you shall say, in the sight of the Lord your God: 'The Syrian pursued my father, who descended into Egypt, and he sojourned there in a very small number, and he increased into a great and strong nation and into an innumerable multitude.
6 And the Egyptians afflicted us, and they persecuted us, imposing upon us the most grievous burdens.
7 And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers. He heard us, and he looked with favor upon our humiliation, and hardship, and distress.
8 And he led us away from Egypt, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with a mighty terror, with signs and wonders.
9 And he led us into this place, and he delivered to us the land flowing with milk and honey.
10 And because of this, I now offer the first fruits of the land which the Lord has given to me.' And you shall leave them in the sight of the Lord your God, and you shall adore the Lord your God.
11 And you shall feast on all the good things which the Lord your God will give to you and to your house: you, and the Levite, and the new arrival who is with you.
12 When you will have completed the tithing of all your crops, in the third year of tithes, you shall give it to the Levite, and to the new arrival, and to the orphan, and to the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be satisfied.
13 And you shall say, in the sight of the Lord your God: 'I have taken what was sanctified from my house, and I have given it to the Levite, and to the new arrival, and to the orphan and the widow, just as you have commanded me. I have not transgressed your commandments, nor have I forgotten your precepts.
14 I have not eaten from these things in my grief, nor have I separated them due to any kind of uncleanness, nor have I expended any of these things in funerals. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and I have done all things just as you have instructed me.
15 Look with favor from your sanctuary and from your lofty habitation amid the heavens, and bless your people Israel and the land which you have given to us, just as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.'
16 Today the Lord your God has instructed you to carry out these commandments and judgments, and to keep and fulfill them, with all your heart and with all your soul.
17 Today, you have chosen the Lord to be your God, so that you may walk in his ways, and keep his ceremonies and commandments and judgments, and obey his command.
18 Today, the Lord has chosen you, so that you may be his particular people, just as he has spoken to you, and so that you may keep all his precepts,
19 and so that he may cause you to be more exalted than all the nations which he has created, for the sake of his own praise and name and glory, in order that you may be a holy people for the Lord your God, just as he has spoken."
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Deuteronomy 26: CPDV
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Deuteronomy 26
26
Give the Lord the First Part of Your Harvest
Moses said to Israel:
1The Lord is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down, 2#Ex 23.19. and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the Lord your God chooses to be worshiped, 3and tell the priest, “Long ago the Lord our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land.”
4The priest will take the basket and set it in front of the Lord's altar. 5Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray:
My ancestor was homeless,
an Aramean who went to live
in Egypt.
There were only a few
in his family then,
but they became great
and powerful,
a nation of many people.
6The Egyptians were cruel
and had no pity on us.
They mistreated our people
and forced us into slavery.
7We called out for help
to you, the Lord God
of our ancestors.
You heard our cries;
you knew we were in trouble
and abused.
8Then you terrified the Egyptians
with your mighty miracles
and rescued us from Egypt.
9You brought us here
and gave us this land
rich with milk and honey.
10Now, Lord, I bring to you
the best of the crops
that you have given me.
After you say these things, place the basket in front of the Lord's altar and bow down to worship him.
11Then you and your family must celebrate by eating a meal at the place of worship to thank the Lord your God for giving you such a good harvest. And remember to invite the Levites and the foreigners who live in your town.
Ten Percent of the Harvest
Moses said to Israel:
12 #
Dt 14.28,29. Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the Lord.#26.12 Every year … Lord: See 14.22-29. But every third year,#26.12 every third year: Probably the third and sixth years of the seven-year cycle described in 15.1-11 and Leviticus 25.1-7. this ten percent must be given to the poor who live in your town, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. That way, they will have enough to eat. 13Then you must pray:
Our Lord and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor, including the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
14I have not eaten any of this sacred food while I was in mourning; in fact, I never touched it when I was unclean.#26.14 in mourning … unclean: Touching a dead body made a person unclean and unfit to worship God. Ten percent of the harvest belonged to God, and was not to be touched by an unclean person. And none of it has been offered as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead. I have done everything exactly as you commanded.
15Our Lord, look down from your temple in heaven and bless us and our land. You promised our ancestors that you would give us this land rich with milk and honey, and you have kept your promise.
The Lord Is Your God, and You Are His People
Moses said to Israel:
16Today the Lord your God has commanded you to obey these laws and teachings with all your heart and soul.
17In response, you have agreed that the Lord will be your God, that you will obey all his laws and teachings, and that you will listen when he speaks to you.
18 #
Ex 19.5; Dt 4.20; 7.6; 14.2; Titus 2.14; 1 P 2.9. Since you have agreed to obey the Lord, he has agreed that you will be his people and that you will belong to him, just as he promised. 19The Lord created all nations, but he will make you more famous than any of them, and you will receive more praise and honor. You will belong only to the Lord your God, just as he promised.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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