Deuteronomy 26
Expanded Bible
The First Harvest
26 When you go into the land the Lord your God is giving you as your ·own [L inheritance], to ·take it over [possess it] and live in it, 2 you must take some of the first harvest of crops that grow from the land the Lord your God is giving you. Put the food in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell; C Zion; 12:4–6]. 3 Go and say to the priest ·on duty at that time [in office in those days], “Today I declare before the Lord your God that I have come into the land the Lord promised our ·ancestors [fathers] that he would give us [Gen. 12:1–3].” 4 The priest will take your basket and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall announce before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean [C likely a reference to Jacob/Israel’s stay in Paddan-Aram; Gen. 28–31]. He went down to Egypt and lived as a ·foreigner [resident alien] with only a few people, but they became a great, powerful, and large nation there [Gen. 12:1–3]. 6 But the Egyptians were ·cruel [mean] to us, ·making us suffer [afflicting/humiliating us] and ·work very hard [giving us onerous work]. 7 So we ·prayed [cried out] to the Lord, the God of our ·ancestors [fathers], and he heard us. When he saw our ·trouble [affliction; humiliation], hard work, and ·suffering [oppression; Ex. 2:23–25; 3:7, 9], 8 the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his ·great power [L strong hand] and ·strength [L outstretched arm], using great terrors, signs, and ·miracles [wonders]. 9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8]. 10 Now I bring part of the first harvest from this land that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and ·foreigners [resident aliens] among you should rejoice, because the Lord your God has given good things to you and your ·family [L house].
12 ·Bring [Finish paying] a ·tenth [T tithe] of all your harvest the third year [14:28–29] (the year to give a ·tenth [T tithe] of your harvest). Give it to the Levites, ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows so that they may eat in your ·towns [L gates] and be full. 13 Then say to the Lord your God, “I have taken out of my house ·the part of my harvest that belongs to God [L what is holy/consecrated/sacred], and I have given it to the Levites, ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows. I have done everything you commanded me; I have not broken your commands, and I have not forgotten any of them. 14 I have not eaten any of the holy part while I was in ·sorrow [mourning]. I have not removed any of it while I was unclean [C in a ritual sense], and I have not offered it ·for [or to] dead people. I have obeyed you, the Lord my God, and have done everything you commanded me. 15 So look down from heaven, your holy home. Bless your people Israel and bless the land you have given us, which you ·promised [swore] to our ·ancestors [fathers]—a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8].”
Obey the Lord’s Commands
16 Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all these ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and laws; be careful to obey them with ·your whole being [L all your heart/mind and all your soul]. 17 Today you have said that the Lord is your God, and you ·have promised to do what he wants you to do [L will walk on his way/path]—to keep his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements], commands, and laws. You have said you will ·obey him [listen to his voice]. 18 And today the Lord has said that you are his ·very own people [treasured/special possession; Ex. 19:5], as he has promised you. But you must obey his commands. 19 He will ·make you greater [set you higher] than all the other nations he made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor, and you will be a holy people to the Lord your God, as he has said [Ex. 19:6].
Deuteronomy 26
New American Standard Bible
Offering First Fruits
26 “Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and live in it, 2 that you shall take some of (A)the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and (B)go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord [a]my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 And you shall respond and say before the Lord your God, ‘(C)My father was a [b]wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and [c]resided there, (D)few in number; but there he became a (E)great, mighty, and populous nation. 6 And the (F)Egyptians treated us badly and oppressed us, and imposed hard labor on us. 7 Then (G)we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our wretched condition, our trouble, and our oppression; 8 (H)and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs and wonders; 9 and He has brought us to this place, and has given us this land, (I)a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground (J)which You, Lord have given me.’ Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God; 11 and you, (K)the Levite, and the stranger who is among you shall (L)rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household.
12 “(M)When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the [d]orphan, and to the widow, so that they may eat in your [e]towns and be satisfied. 13 And you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the [f]orphan, and the widow, in accordance with all Your commandments which You have commanded me; (N)I have not violated or forgotten any of Your commandments. 14 I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead. I have listened to the voice of the Lord my God; I have acted in accordance with everything that You have commanded me. 15 (O)Look down from Your holy dwelling place, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, (P)a land flowing with milk and honey just as You swore to our fathers.’
16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to perform these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall be careful to perform them (Q)with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 (R)Today you have declared the Lord to be your God, and [g]that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. 18 And the Lord has today declared you to be (S)His people, His personal possession, just as He promised you, and [h]that you are to keep all His commandments; 19 and [i]that He will (T)put you high above all the nations which He has made, for glory, fame, and honor; and that you shall be (U)a consecrated people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 26:3 As in LXX; MT your
- Deuteronomy 26:5 Or perishing
- Deuteronomy 26:5 Or lived as a foreigner
- Deuteronomy 26:12 Or fatherless
- Deuteronomy 26:12 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 26:13 Or fatherless
- Deuteronomy 26:17 Lit to walk in
- Deuteronomy 26:18 Lit to keep all
- Deuteronomy 26:19 Lit to put you
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