Harvest Offerings
1 “After you have occupied the land that the Lord your God is giving you and have settled there, 2 each of you must place in a basket the first part of each crop that you harvest and you must take it with you to the one place of worship. 3 Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘I now acknowledge to the Lord my God that I have entered the land that he promised our ancestors to give us.’
4 “The priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then, in the Lord's presence you will recite these words: ‘My ancestor was a wandering Aramean, who took his family to Egypt to live. They were few in number when they went there, but they became a large and powerful nation. 6 The Egyptians treated us harshly and forced us to work as slaves. 7 Then we cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our suffering, hardship, and misery. 8 By his great power and strength he rescued us from Egypt. He worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen. 9 He brought us here and gave us this rich and fertile land. 10 So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’
“Then set the basket down in the Lord's presence and worship there. 11 Be grateful for the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebration.
12 “Every third year give the tithe—a tenth of your crops—to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat. When you have done this, 13 say to the Lord, ‘None of the sacred tithe is left in my house; I have given it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, as you commanded me to do. I have not disobeyed or forgotten any of your commands concerning the tithe. 14 I have not eaten any of it when I was mourning; I have not taken any of it out of my house when I was ritually unclean; and I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed you, O Lord; I have done everything you commanded concerning the tithe. 15 Look down from your holy place in heaven and bless your people Israel; bless also the rich and fertile land that you have given us, as you promised our ancestors.’
The Lord's Own People
16 “Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all his laws; so obey them faithfully with all your heart. 17 Today you have acknowledged the Lord as your God; you have promised to obey him, to keep all his laws, and to do all that he commands. 18 Today the Lord has accepted you as his own people, as he promised you; and he commands you to obey all his laws. 19 He will make you greater than any other nation that he has created, and you will bring praise and honor to his name. You will be his own people, as he promised.”
1 Also when thou shalt come into the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee for inheritance, and shalt possesse it, and dwell therein, 2 Then shalt thou take of the first of all the fruite of the earth, and bring it out of the lande that the Lord thy God giueth thee, and put it in a basket, and goe vnto the place, which the Lord thy God shall chose to place his Name there. 3 And thou shalt come vnto the Priest, that shall be in those dayes, and say vnto him, I acknowledge this day vnto the Lord thy God, that I am come vnto the countrey which the Lord sware vnto our fathers for to giue vs. 4 Then the Priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it downe before the altar of the Lord thy God. 5 And thou shalt answere and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian was my father, who being ready to perish for hunger, went downe into Egypt, and soiourned there with a small company, and grew there vnto a nation great, mightie and full of people. 6 And the Egyptians vexed vs, and troubled vs, and laded vs with cruell bondage. 7 But when we cried vnto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voyce, and looked on our aduersitie, and on our labour, and on our oppression. 8 And the Lord brought vs out of Egypt in a mightie hande, and a stretched out arme, with great terriblenesse, both in signes and wonders. 9 And he hath brought vs into this place, and hath giuen vs this land, euen a lande that floweth with milke and hony. 10 And now, lo, I haue brought ye first fruites of the land which thou, O Lord, hast giuen me, and thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: 11 And thou shalt reioyce in all the good things which the Lord thy God hath giuen vnto thee and to thine houshold, thou and the Leuite, and the stranger that is among you. 12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tythes of thine increase, the thirde yeere, which is the yeere of tithing, and hast giuen it vnto the Leuite, to the stranger, to the fatherlesse, and to the widowe, that they may eate within thy gates, and be satisfied, 13 Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I haue brought the halowed thing out of mine house, and also haue giuen it vnto the Leuites and to the strangers, to the fatherlesse, and to the widow, according to all thy comandements which thou hast commanded me: I haue transgressed none of thy comandements, nor forgotten them. 14 I haue not eaten therof in my mourning, nor suffred ought to perish through vncleannes, nor giuen ought thereof for the dead, but haue hearkened vnto the voyce of the Lord my God: I haue done after al that thou hast comaded me. 15 Looke downe from thine holy habitation, euen from heauen, and blesse thy people Israel, and the lande which thou hast giuen vs (as thou swarest vnto our fathers) the land that floweth with milke and hony. 16 This day the Lord thy God doeth command thee to do these ordinances, and lawes: keepe them therefore, and do them with al thine heart, and with all thy soule. 17 Thou hast set vp the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walke in his wayes, and to keepe his ordinances, and his commandements, and his lawes, and to hearken vnto his voyce. 18 And the Lord hath set thee vp this day, to be a precious people vnto him (as hee hath promised thee) and that thou shouldest keepe all his commandements, 19 And to make thee high aboue al nations (which he hath made) in praise, and in name, and in glory, and that thou shouldest be an holy people vnto the Lord thy God, as he hath said.