Deuteronomy 26-27

Common English Bible

The ceremony upon entering the land

26 Once you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and are settled there, ²take some of the early produce of the fertile ground that you have harvested from the land the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket. Then go to the location the Lord your God selects for his name to reside. ³Go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him: “I am declaring right now before the Lord my^[a] God that I have indeed arrived in the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.”

⁴The priest will then take the basket from you and place it before the Lord your God’s altar. ⁵Then you should solemnly state before the Lord your God:

“My father was a starving Aramean. He went down to Egypt, living as an immigrant there with few family members, but that is where he became a great nation, mighty and numerous. ⁶The Egyptians treated us terribly, oppressing us and forcing hard labor on us. ⁷So we cried out for help to the Lord, our ancestors’ God. The Lord heard our call. God saw our misery, our trouble, and our oppression. ⁸The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with awesome power, and with signs and wonders. ⁹He brought us to this place and gave us this land—a land full of milk and honey. ¹⁰So now I am bringing the early produce of the fertile ground that you, Lord, have given me.”

Set the produce before the Lord your God, bowing down before the Lord your God. ¹¹Then celebrate all the good things the Lord your God has done for you and your family—each one of you along with the Levites and the immigrants who are among you.

¹²When you have finished paying the entire tenth part of your produce on the third year—that is the year for paying the tenth-part—you will give it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows so they can eat in your cities until they are full. ¹³Then announce before the Lord your God: “I have removed the holy portion from my^[b] house, and I have given it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows—in full compliance with your entire commandment that you commanded me. I haven’t broken your commandments. I haven’t forgotten one! ¹⁴I haven’t eaten from the holy portion while mourning, nor did I remove it while I was polluted, nor have I dedicated any of it to the dead. I’ve obeyed the Lord my God’s voice. I’ve done everything just as you commanded me. ¹⁵Please look down from your holy home, from heaven itself, and bless your people Israel and the fertile land that you have given us—a land full of milk and honey—just like you promised our ancestors.”

Conclusion to the regulations and case laws

¹⁶This very moment the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these regulations and case laws. So keep them and do them with all your mind and with your entire being! ¹⁷Today you have affirmed that the Lord will be your God and that you will walk in his ways and follow his regulations, his commandments, and his case laws, and that you will obey his voice. ¹⁸Today the Lord has gotten your agreement^[c] that you will be his treasured people, just like he promised—by keeping his commandments— ¹⁹in order to set you high above all the other nations that he made in praise, fame, and honor; and so that you are a people holy to the Lord your God, just as he said you would be.

Stones of the Instruction

27 Then Moses and Israel’s elders commanded the people:

Keep all of the commandment that I am giving you right now. ²The same day you cross the Jordan River to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. ³Once you have crossed over, write on the stones all the words of this Instruction because you will have entered^[d] the land the Lord your God is giving to you—a land full of milk and honey—exactly as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, promised you. ⁴Once you have crossed over the Jordan River, set up these stones that I’m telling you about right now on Mount Ebal. Cover them with plaster ⁵and build an altar there for the Lord your God—an altar of stones that haven’t been cut with iron tools. ⁶(You must build the Lord your God’s altar with uncut stones.) Then offer up on that altar entirely burned sacrifices to the Lord your God. ⁷Offer up well-being sacrifices and eat them there, celebrating in the Lord your God’s presence. ⁸Make sure to write all the words of this Instruction on the stones plainly and clearly. ⁹Then Moses and the levitical priests said to all Israel: Quiet down and listen, Israel! This very moment you have become the people of the Lord your God. ¹⁰So obey the Lord your God’s voice. Do his commandments and his regulations that I’m giving you right now.

Ceremony on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal

¹¹That same day Moses commanded the people: ¹²Once you have crossed over the Jordan River, the following tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³And these are the tribes that will stand on Mount Ebal for the cursing: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. ¹⁴The Levites will address every individual Israelite with a loud voice:

¹⁵“Cursed is anyone who makes an idol or an image—things detestable to the Lord, made by artisans—and sets it up secretly.”

All the people will reply: “We agree!”^[e]

¹⁶“Cursed is anyone who belittles their father or mother.”