26
1 It
shall be, when
you have come
in to the
land which the
LORD your God
gives you for
an inheritance,
possess it, and
dwell in it,
2 that
you shall take
some of the
first of all
the fruit of
the ground, which
you shall bring
in from your
land that the
LORD your God
gives you. You
shall put it
in a basket,
and shall go
to the place
which the LORD
your God shall
choose to cause
his name to
dwell there.
3 You
shall come to
the priest who
shall be in
those days, and
tell him, “I
profess today to
the LORD your
God, that I
have come to
the land which the
LORD swore to
our fathers to
give us.”
4 The
priest shall take
the basket out
of your hand,
and set it
down before the
LORD your God’s
altar.
5 You
shall answer
and say before the
LORD your God, “My
father
was a Syrian ready
to perish. He went
down into Egypt,
and lived there,
few in number.
There he became
a great, mighty,
and populous
nation.
6 The
Egyptians mistreated us,
afflicted us, and
imposed hard labor
on us.
7 Then
we cried to
the LORD, the
God of our fathers.
The LORD heard
our voice, and
saw our affliction,
our toil, and
our oppression.
8 The
LORD brought us
out of Egypt
with a mighty
hand, with an
outstretched arm,
with great terror,
with signs, and
with wonders;
9 and
he has brought
us into this
place, and has
given us this
land, a land
flowing with milk
and honey.
10 Now,
behold, I have
brought the first
of the fruit
of the ground,
which you, the
LORD, have given
me.” You shall
set it down
before the LORD
your God, and
worship before the
LORD your God.
11 You
shall rejoice in
all the good
which the LORD
your God has
given to you,
and to your
house, you, and
the Levite, and
the foreigner who
is among you.
12 When
you have finished
tithing all the
tithe of your
increase in the
third year, which
is the year
of tithing, then
you shall give
it to the
Levite, to the
foreigner, to the
fatherless, and to
the widow, that
they may eat within
your gates and
be filled.
13 You
shall say before
the LORD your
God, “I have
put away the
holy things out
of my house,
and also have
given them to
the Levite, to
the foreigner, to
the fatherless,
and to the widow,
according to all
your commandment
which you have
commanded me. I
have not
transgressed any
of your
commandments, neither
have I forgotten
them.
14 I
have not eaten
of it in
my mourning, neither
have I removed
any of it
while I was
unclean, nor given
of it for
the dead. I
have listened to
the LORD my
God’s voice. I
have done
according to all
that you have
commanded me.
15 Look
down from your
holy habitation,
from heaven, and
bless your people
Israel, and
the ground which
you have given
us, as you
swore to
our fathers, a
land flowing with
milk and honey.”
16 Today
the LORD your
God commands you
to do these
statutes and
ordinances. You
shall therefore
keep and do
them with all
your heart and
with all your
soul.
17 You
have declared
today that the
LORD is your
God, and that
you would walk
in his ways,
keep his statutes,
his commandments,
and his ordinances,
and listen to
his voice.
18 The
LORD has declared
today that you
are a people
for his own
possession, as he
has promised you,
and that you
should keep all
his commandments.
19 He
will make you
high above all
nations that he
has made, in
praise, in name,
and in honor,
and that you
may be a
holy people to
the LORD your
God, as he
has spoken.