Deuteronomy 26

1 And it shall be when thou shalt enter into the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee for an inheritance, —and shalt possess it and dwell therein,

Once you've entered the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own, and you take it over and settle there,

2 then shalt thou take—of the first of all the fruit of the soil which thou shalt bring in from thy land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee and shalt put it in a basket, —and go thy way unto the place which Yahweh thy God shall choose, to make a habitation for his name there.

take some of the firstfruits of all your crops produced by the land that the Lord your God is giving you and place them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose to live with you,

3 And thou shalt come in unto the priest who shall be in those days, —and shalt say unto him—I declare to-day unto Yahweh thy God, that I am come into the land which Yahweh sware unto our fathers that he would give unto us.

and tell the priest in charge at the time, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I now live in the country that the Lord promised our forefathers to give us.”

4 Then shall the priest take the basket out of thy hand, —and set it down before the altar of Yahweh thy God.

The priest will take the basket from you and place it in front of the altar of the Lord your God.

5 And thou shalt respond and say before Yahweh thy God—A Syrian ready to perish, was my father, so he went down to Egypt, and became a sojourner there with men only few; but he became there a nation great, mighty and numerous;

Then this is what you are to publicly declare before the Lord your God, “My father was a Aramean who moved from place to place. There were only a few of them when he and his family went to live in Egypt. But they became a large and powerful nation.

6 and the Egyptians, badly entreated us, and humiliated us, —and put upon us harsh service;

But the Egyptians treated us very badly, oppressing us and forcing us to do hard labor.

7 so we made outcry unto Yahweh God of our fathers, —and Yahweh hearkened unto our voice, and looked upon our humiliation and our toil, and our oppression;

We cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our forefathers; and the Lord answered us as he saw how much we were suffering, forced to work so hard in such cruelty.

8 and Yahweh, brought us forth, out of Egypt, with a firm hand and with a stretched-out arm, and with great terror, —and with signs and with wonders;

The Lord led us out of Egypt with his great power and incredible strength and terrifying actions, signs and miracles.

9 and brought us into this place, and gave unto us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

He brought us here and gave us this country, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 Now, therefore lo! I have brought in the first of the fruit of the soil, which thou hast given unto me, O Yahweh. Thus shalt thou set it down before Yahweh thy God, and shall bow thyself down before Yahweh thy God;

Look, Lord! I have brought you the firstfruits of the land that you have given me.” You shall place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down in worship before him.

11 and shalt rejoice in all the good things which Yahweh thy God, hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, —thou and the Levite, and the sojourner who is in thy midst.

Then you, the Levites, and the foreigners who live with you are to celebrate all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your family.

12 When thou shalt make an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year the year of tithing, —and shalt give unto the Levite unto the sojourner, unto the fatherless and unto the widow, and they shall eat within thy gates and be satisfied,

Once you've finished storing up a tenth of all your crops in the third year, (the year of the tithe), you shall give it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so they will have enough to eat in your towns.

13 then shalt thou say—before Yahweh thy God: —I have carefully removed that which was hallowed out of the house moreover also I have given it unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner unto the fatherless and unto the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me, —I have not transgressed any of thy commandments neither have I forgotten,

Then you are to make this declaration in the presence of the Lord your God: “I have brought the holy tithe and I have given it to the Levite, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows as you have ordered me to do. I have not broken or forgotten your commandments.

14 I have not eaten in my sorrow therefrom neither have I removed therefrom when unclean, neither have I given thereof unto the dead, —I have hearkened unto the voice of Yahweh my God, I have done according to all which thou hast commanded me.

I have not eaten any of the holy tithe while in mourning, or taken any of it while I was unclean, or used any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God. I have done everything you ordered me to do.

15 Look thou down out of thy holy habitation out of the heavens and bless thy people Israel, and the soil which thou hast given unto us, —as thou didst swear unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Please look down from your home in heaven, and bless your people the Israelites and the country you have given us as you promised our fathers—a land flowing with milk and honey.”

16 This day, is Yahweh thy God commanding thee to do these statutes and the regulations, —thou shalt therefore observe and do them, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Today the Lord your God orders you to carry out these rules and regulations. Make sure you follow them with all your mind and with all your being.

17 Thou hast avowed to-day that Yahweh, shall be, thy God, and that thou wilt walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his regulations and wilt hearken unto his voice.

Today you have publicly declared that the Lord is your God and that you will follow his ways, keep rules and commandments and regulations, and obey what he says.

18 And, Yahweh, hath avowed to-day that thou shalt be, his people, as a treasure, as he spake unto thee, —and that thou shalt observe all his commandments;

Today the Lord has announced that you are a special people who belong to him as he promised. He has announced that you are to keep all his commandments.

19 and [hath avowed] that he will set thee on high above all the nations which he hath made, for praise, and for renown and for glory, and that thou shalt be a holy people unto Yahweh thy God as he hath spoken.

He has announced that he will give you greater praise and reputation and honor than any other nation he has made. He has announced that you will be a holy people to the Lord your God, as he promised.