Deuteronomy 26

1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein,2 that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.3 And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto Jehovah thy God, that I am come unto the land which Jehovah sware unto our fathers to give us.4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of Jehovah thy God.5 And thou shalt answer and say before Jehovah thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:7 and we cried unto Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression;8 and Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders;9 and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.10 And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O Jehovah, hast given me. And thou shalt set it down before Jehovah thy God, and worship before Jehovah thy God:11 and thou shalt rejoice in all the good which Jehovah thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the sojourner that is in the midst of thee.

12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then thou shalt give it unto the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.13 And thou shalt say before Jehovah thy God, I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed any of thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead: I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah my God; I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the ground which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

16 This day Jehovah thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.17 Thou hast avouched Jehovah this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and hearken unto his voice:18 and Jehovah hath avouched thee this day to be a people for his own possession, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;19 and to make thee high above all nations that he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken.

Deuteronomy 26

Presentation of the First Fruits

1 Whent you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it,2 you must take the first of all the ground’s produce you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where het chooses to locate his name.s3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord yours God that I have come into the land that the Lords promisedt to our ancestorst to give us.”4 The priest will then take the basket from yout and set it before the altar of the Lord your God.5 Then you must affirm before the Lord your God, “A wanderingt Arameans was my ancestor,t and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number,t but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people.6 But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor.7 So we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and het heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression.8 Therefore the Lord brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power,t as well as with great awe-inspiring signs and wonders.9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.10 So now, look! I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.” Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him.t

11 You will celebrate all the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family,t along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you.

Presentation of the Third-year Tithe

12 When you finish tithing allt your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widowst so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages.t13 Then you shall say before the Lord your God, “I have removed the sacred offeringt from my house and given it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows just as you have commanded me.t I have not violated or forgotten your commandments.14 I have not eaten anything when I was in mourning, or removed any of it while ceremonially unclean, or offered any of it to the dead;s I have obeyed yout and have done everything you have commanded me.

15 Look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us, just as you promised our ancestors – a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Narrative Interlude

16 Today the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul.t17 Today you have declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances, and obey him.18 And today the Lord has declared you to be his special people (as he already promised you) so you may keep all his commandments.

19 Thent he will elevate you above all the nations he has made and you will receive praise, fame, and honor.t You willt be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has said.