Deuteronomy 26
Open in the reader1When you enter the land that He-Who-Is your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and settle in it,
2you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that He-Who-Is your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place He-Who-Is your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name,
3to the priest who is serving at that time, and say to him, “I declare today to He-Who-Is your God that I have entered the land that He-Who-Is swore to our fathers to give us.”
4Then the priest shall take the basket from your hands and place it before the altar of He-Who-Is your God,
5and you are to declare before He-Who-Is your God, “My father was a wandering Highlandean, and he went down to Two-Straits few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.
6But the Two-Straits-Ones mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.
7So we called out to He-Who-Is, the God of our fathers; and He-Who-Is heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.
8Then He-Who-Is brought us out of Two-Straits with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, signs, and wonders.
9And He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land that You, O He-Who-Is, have given me.” Then you are to place the basket before He-Who-Is your God and bow down before Him.
11So you shall rejoice—you, the Joined-One, and the foreigner dwelling among you—in all the good things He-Who-Is your God has given to you and your household.
12When you have finished laying aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you are to give it to the Joined-One, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat and be filled within your gates.
13Then you shall declare in the presence of He-Who-Is your God, “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Joined-One, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all the commandments You have given me. I have not transgressed or forgotten Your commandments.
14I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead. I have obeyed He-Who-Is my God; I have done everything You commanded me.
15Look down from Your devoted habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Strives-with-God and the land You have given us as You swore to our fathers—a land flowing with milk and honey.”
16He-Who-Is your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.
17Today you have proclaimed that He-Who-Is is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.
18And today He-Who-Is has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
19that He will set you high in praise and name and honor above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a devoted people to He-Who-Is your God, as He has promised.