Deuteronomy 26

1 When you enter [come into, arrive at] the land [territory, region] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [bestowing, granting] you as an inheritance [a gift, a legacy], and you take possession [occupy, claim] of it and settle [dwell, reside] in it, word study 2 you are to take [select and gather] some of the firstfruits [the choicest, initial produce] of all your produce [crops, harvest] from the soil [earth, ground] of the land [territory, region] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true Deity] is giving [bestowing, granting] you and put them in a basket [a container, woven vessel]. Then go [proceed, journey] to the place [location, dwelling] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God will choose [select, appoint] as a dwelling [residence, sacred site] for His Name [His character, reputation, presence], word study 3 to the priest [who serves as a mediator between God and man] who is serving at that time, and say to him, “I declare [profess, acknowledge openly] today to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] that I have entered [come into, taken possession of] the land [the promised territory, the inheritance] that the LORD [Yehovah, the faithful Promiser] swore [made a solemn oath, promised faithfully] to our fathers [ancestors, the patriarchs] to give [bestow, grant] us [as an inheritance, a gift].” word study 4 Then the priest [spiritual leader, mediator] shall take [receive, get] the basket [container, woven vessel] from your hands and place [set down, rest] it before [in the presence of] the altar [sacrificial table, place of offering] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, supreme Creator], word study 5 and you are to declare [speak and say, answer] before the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God], “My father [ancestor, forefather] was a wandering [perishing, ready to perish] Aramean [from Aram, a Syrian], and he went down [descended, traveled] to Egypt [a foreign land, a place of bondage] few [with a small number, a handful] in number and lived [sojourned, dwelt] there and became a great [large, numerous] nation, mighty [powerful, strong] and numerous [many, populous]. word study 6 But the Egyptians [treated us very harshly, were cruel to us] mistreated us and afflicted [oppressed, humbled] us, putting us to [severe] hard labor [service, work]. word study 7 So we called out [cried unto, with urgency] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of our fathers; and the LORD heard [listened attentively to] our voice [sound, cry] and saw [looked upon with care] our affliction [misery, trouble], toil [hard work, labor], and oppression [cruelty, injustice]. word study 8 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] brought us out of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] with a mighty [strong, powerful] hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] and an outstretched [stretched out] arm [the arm as stretched out], with great [of significant importance] terror [fear, awe, or dread], signs [miraculous tokens, beacons], and wonders [special displays of God’s power, miracles]. word study 9 And He brought [guided, led] us to this place [location, region] and gave [bestowed, granted] us this land [country, territory], a land [earth, territory] flowing [abundant, overflowing] with milk [richness, abundance] and honey [sweetness, delight]. word study 10 And now [at this present time], behold [look, see], I have brought [presented, offered] the firstfruits [initial harvest, beginning of the crop] of the land [earth, ground, soil] that You, O LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], have given [bestowed, granted] me.” Then you are to place [set, put] the basket [container, vessel] before [in the presence of] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] and bow down [worship, prostrate yourself] before [in the presence of] Him. word study 11 So you shall rejoice [in every good thing, with great gladness]—you, the Levite [a descendant of Levi], and the foreigner [sojourner, temporary resident] dwelling among you—in all the good things [blessings, welfare] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] has given [provided, bestowed] to you and your household [family, place of dwelling]. word study 12 When you have finished laying aside [setting apart, dedicating] a tenth [a tithe, 10 percent] of all your produce [crops, income, fruits of your labor] in the third [holy, special] year, the year of the tithe [time of giving, season of generosity], you are to give it to the Levite [descendant of Levi, priestly tribe], the foreigner [sojourner, stranger], the fatherless [orphan, without a father], and the widow [woman without a husband, alone], that they may eat [be nourished, devour] and be filled [satisfied, content] within your gates [city entrances, places of community]. word study 13 Then you shall declare [speak openly, confess] in the presence [face to face, before] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator], “I have removed [taken away, separated] from my house [dwelling place, family home] the sacred portion [holy tithe, set-apart gift] and have given [donated, offered] it to the Levite [descendant of Levi, priestly tribe], the foreigner [sojourner, temporary resident], the fatherless [orphan, child without a father], and the widow [woman whose husband has died, alone and vulnerable], according to [in accordance with, following] all the commandments [laws, instructions] You have given [commanded, ordained] me. I have not transgressed [disobeyed, rebelled against] or forgotten [been oblivious to, neglected] Your commandments [laws, instructions]. word study 14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion [holy tithe, set apart for God] while in mourning [a time of sorrow, grieving], or removed any of it while unclean [spiritually impure, defiled], or offered any of it for the dead [as an offering to spirits of the dead]. I have obeyed the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] my God; I have done everything You commanded me [according to all Your instructions, as You have ordained]. word study 15 Look down [from Your heavenly throne, gaze out] from Your holy habitation [the sacred sanctuary, Your dwelling place], from heaven [the celestial realm, the sky], and bless [bestow divine favor upon, prosper] Your people Israel [Your chosen nation, the descendants of Jacob] and the land [the earthly territory, the ground] You have given us [as a gift, an inheritance] as You swore [made a promise, took an oath] to our fathers [our ancestors, the patriarchs]—a land [a region, a territory] flowing [abundant, overflowing] with milk and honey [a sweet delicacy, a treasure].” word study 16 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] commands [gives orders, appoints] you this day [at this present time, in this era] to follow [obey, keep] these statutes [decrees, laws given by God] and ordinances [judgments, regulations]. You must be careful [diligent, watchful] to follow [obey, keep] them with all [entirely, completely] your heart [innermost being, mind, will, and emotions] and with all [entirely, completely] your soul [living being, essence]. word study 17 Today you have proclaimed [publicly declared, avouched] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and that you will walk [follow, conduct your life] in His ways [path, manner of action], keep [obey, protect] His statutes [decrees, laws] and commandments [rules, guidelines] and ordinances [judgments, regulations], and listen [hear, obey] to His voice [sound, spoken word]. word study 18 And today [at this present time, in this moment] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has proclaimed [declared, avouched] that you are His people [a special nation, a treasured possession] and treasured possession [a valuable treasure, a peculiar people] as He promised [spoken, commanded], that you are to keep [obey, guard] all His commandments [laws, rules, guidelines], word study 19 that He will set you [in a position of great esteem] high in praise [and worship, to extol His greatness] and name [reputation, honor] and honor [glory, recognition] above all the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrew tribes] He has made, and that you will be a holy [set apart, sacred] people to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true deity], as He has promised [spoken, given His word]. word study