Deuteronomy 26

1And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein,

1When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as your permanent home, and you take possession of it and settle there,

2that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.

2take some of the first produce from all the crops you harvest from the land the LORD your God is giving you. Put them in a basket and go to the place the LORD your God chooses as a dwelling for his Name.

3And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto Jehovah thy God, that I am come unto the land which Jehovah sware unto our fathers to give us.

3Go to the priest who is serving at that time and say to him, 'I declare today to the LORD your God that I have entered the land the LORD promised to our ancestors that he would give us.'

4And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of Jehovah thy God.

4The priest will take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God.

5And thou shalt answer and say before Jehovah thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.

5Then you must say in the presence of the LORD your God: 'My ancestor was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt. He lived there as a foreigner with only a few people, but there they became a great, powerful, and large nation.'

6And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

6'But the Egyptians treated us badly, oppressed us, and forced us to do hard labor.'

7and we cried unto Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression;

7'Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, and the LORD heard our voice. He saw our misery, our hard work, and the way we were being treated.'

8and Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders;

8'So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and a powerful arm, using terrifying power, miraculous signs, and wonders.'

9and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

9'He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.'

10And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O Jehovah, hast given me. And thou shalt set it down before Jehovah thy God, and worship before Jehovah thy God:

10'And now, look, I have brought the first part of the harvest from the ground that you, LORD, have given me.' Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down to worship him.

11and thou shalt rejoice in all the good which Jehovah thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the sojourner that is in the midst of thee.

11Then you, the Levites, and the foreigners living among you can celebrate all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your family.

12When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then thou shalt give it unto the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.

12Every third year is the year for the special tithe. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your crops that year, give it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that they may eat their fill in your towns.

13And thou shalt say before Jehovah thy God, I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed any of thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:

13Then say in the presence of the LORD your God: 'I have removed the sacred portion from my house and given it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, just as you commanded me. I have not broken or forgotten any of your commands.'

14I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead: I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah my God; I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

14'I have not eaten any of this food while I was in mourning, I have not handled any of it while I was ceremonially unclean, and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God and have done everything you commanded me.'

15Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the ground which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

15'Look down from your holy home in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as you promised our ancestors.'

16This day Jehovah thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

16Today the LORD your God is commanding you to follow these rules and laws. Be careful to obey them with all your heart and with all your soul.

17Thou hast avouched Jehovah this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and hearken unto his voice:

17Today you have declared that the LORD is your God. You have promised to live the way he wants, to obey his rules, commands, and laws, and to listen to him.

18and Jehovah hath avouched thee this day to be a people for his own possession, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;

18And today the LORD has declared that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands.

19and to make thee high above all nations that he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken.

19He will set you high above all the other nations he has made. You will receive praise, fame, and honor, and you will be a holy people dedicated to the LORD your God, just as he promised.