Deuteronomy 26
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 26
Thanksgiving for God’s Gifts. 1 When you have entered the land that the Lord, your God, is giving to you as an inheritance and you have taken possession of it and are dwelling in it, 2 you shall take the firstfruits of the produce of the earth in the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you, and you shall put them in a basket. You shall then bring them to the place that the Lord, your God, has chosen as a dwelling place for his name. 3 Go to the priest then in office and say, “I declare today to the Lord, your God, that I have come into the land that the Lord promised to our fathers to give us.” 4 The priest will then take the basket out of your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord, your God. 5 You shall declare before the Lord, your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean,[a] and he went down into Egypt with a few people and he dwelt there becoming a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us and forced us to do hard labor. 7 We cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and took notice of our affliction, labor, and oppression. 8 The Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with terrifying and awesome signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us a land, this land that is flowing with milk and honey. 10 Now I have brought the firstfruits of the land that you, O Lord, have given me.” Then place it before the Lord, your God, and worship the Lord, your God. 11 You and the Levites and the foreigner who lives with you will rejoice over every good thing that the Lord, your God, has given to you and your household.
12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of the produce every third year, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow who live in your town so that they might eat it and be satisfied. 13 Then you will declare before the Lord, your God, “I have brought these dedicated things from my house and have given them to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, just as you commanded me. I have not violated your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of it while I was in mourning, nor did I remove any of it while I was unclean. I did not offer any of it to the dead. I have harkened to the voice of the Lord, my God, and have done everything that you have commanded me.[b] 15 Look down from the heavens, your holy dwelling place, and bless the people of Israel and the land that you have given us as you had promised to our fathers, a land that is flowing with milk and honey.”
16 Covenant with God. The Lord, your God, commands you today to observe these statutes and decrees. Carefully fulfill them with all of your heart and all of your soul. 17 You have solemnly declared today that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will observe his statutes, commandments, and decrees, and that you will obey him, 18 and the Lord has solemnly promised you today that you will be his chosen people, as he had promised, and that you are to observe all of his commandments. 19 He will raise you up above every other nation in praise, fame, and honor. You will be a holy people[c] to the Lord, your God, as he has promised.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 26:5 A wandering Aramean: likely a reference to Jacob and to the patriarchs from Aram-naharaim (see Gen 24:10; 25:20; 31:20).
- Deuteronomy 26:14 An allusion to the funeral banquets held by pagans in honor of the gods of vegetation.
- Deuteronomy 26:19 A holy people: God raised up the children of Israel to a place of respect and the envy of others, set apart in a unique relationship to himself. Members of the Church today are called to glorify God as the ancient Israelites did.
