Deuteronomy 26
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 26
Thanksgiving for God’s Gifts. 1 When you have entered the land that the Lord, your God, is giving to you as an inheritance and you have taken possession of it and are dwelling in it, 2 you shall take the firstfruits of the produce of the earth in the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you, and you shall put them in a basket. You shall then bring them to the place that the Lord, your God, has chosen as a dwelling place for his name. 3 Go to the priest then in office and say, “I declare today to the Lord, your God, that I have come into the land that the Lord promised to our fathers to give us.” 4 The priest will then take the basket out of your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord, your God. 5 You shall declare before the Lord, your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean,[a] and he went down into Egypt with a few people and he dwelt there becoming a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us and forced us to do hard labor. 7 We cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and took notice of our affliction, labor, and oppression. 8 The Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with terrifying and awesome signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us a land, this land that is flowing with milk and honey. 10 Now I have brought the firstfruits of the land that you, O Lord, have given me.” Then place it before the Lord, your God, and worship the Lord, your God. 11 You and the Levites and the foreigner who lives with you will rejoice over every good thing that the Lord, your God, has given to you and your household.
12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of the produce every third year, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow who live in your town so that they might eat it and be satisfied. 13 Then you will declare before the Lord, your God, “I have brought these dedicated things from my house and have given them to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, just as you commanded me. I have not violated your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of it while I was in mourning, nor did I remove any of it while I was unclean. I did not offer any of it to the dead. I have harkened to the voice of the Lord, my God, and have done everything that you have commanded me.[b] 15 Look down from the heavens, your holy dwelling place, and bless the people of Israel and the land that you have given us as you had promised to our fathers, a land that is flowing with milk and honey.”
16 Covenant with God. The Lord, your God, commands you today to observe these statutes and decrees. Carefully fulfill them with all of your heart and all of your soul. 17 You have solemnly declared today that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will observe his statutes, commandments, and decrees, and that you will obey him, 18 and the Lord has solemnly promised you today that you will be his chosen people, as he had promised, and that you are to observe all of his commandments. 19 He will raise you up above every other nation in praise, fame, and honor. You will be a holy people[c] to the Lord, your God, as he has promised.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 26:5 A wandering Aramean: likely a reference to Jacob and to the patriarchs from Aram-naharaim (see Gen 24:10; 25:20; 31:20).
- Deuteronomy 26:14 An allusion to the funeral banquets held by pagans in honor of the gods of vegetation.
- Deuteronomy 26:19 A holy people: God raised up the children of Israel to a place of respect and the envy of others, set apart in a unique relationship to himself. Members of the Church today are called to glorify God as the ancient Israelites did.
Deuteronomy 26
New King James Version
Offerings of Firstfruits and Tithes
26 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 (A)that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and (B)go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. 3 And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord [a]your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’
4 “Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: ‘My father was (C)a [b]Syrian, (D)about to perish, and (E)he went down to Egypt and [c]dwelt there, (F)few in number; and there he became a nation, (G)great, mighty, and populous. 6 But the (H)Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. 7 (I)Then we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So (J)the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, (K)with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, (L)“a land flowing with milk and honey”; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me.’
“Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God. 11 So (M)you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.
12 “When you have finished laying aside all the (N)tithe of your increase in the third year—(O)the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the [d]holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, (P)nor have I forgotten them. 14 (Q)I have not eaten any of it [e]when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it [f]for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. 15 (R)Look down from Your holy [g]habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, (S)“a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’
A Special People of God
16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 Today you have (T)proclaimed the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will (U)obey His voice. 18 Also today (V)the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, 19 and that He will set you (W)high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be (X)a [h]holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 26:3 LXX my
- Deuteronomy 26:5 Or Aramean
- Deuteronomy 26:5 As a resident alien
- Deuteronomy 26:13 hallowed things
- Deuteronomy 26:14 Lit. in my mourning
- Deuteronomy 26:14 Or while I was unclean
- Deuteronomy 26:15 home
- Deuteronomy 26:19 consecrated
En Levende Bok: Det Nye Testamentet Copyright © 1978, 1988 by Biblica, Inc.®
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
