^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.” ’

^2 (A)On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

^19 (A)The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. ^(B)You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek ^(A)the fruit that abounds to your account. ¹⁸ Indeed I ^[a]have all and abound. I am full, having received from ^(B)Epaphroditus the things sent from you, ^(C)a sweet-smelling aroma, ^(D)an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

²⁹ “You shall not delay to offer ^(A)the first of your ripe produce and your juices. ^(B)The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.

² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and ^(A)their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³ For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,

⁴ “Is it ^(A)time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this ^[a]temple to lie in ruins?” ⁵ Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(B)“Consider your ways!

⁷ Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! ⁸ Go up to the ^(E)mountains and bring wood and build the ^[b]temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. ^9 (F)“You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, ^(G)I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.