Firstfruits and tithes
1When you have entered the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land that the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3and say to the priest in office at the time, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ 4The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6But the Egyptians ill-treated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labour. 7Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.’ Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
12When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13Then say to the Lord your God: ‘I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. 14I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. 15Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling-place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Follow the Lord’s commands
16The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws – that you will listen to him. 18And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honour high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.
奉献初熟的物产
1“你们进入你们的上帝耶和华将要赐给你们作产业的土地，征服那里，安居下来以后， 2要把在那里收获的各种初熟的物产放在篮子里，带到你们的上帝耶和华选定的敬拜场所。 3你们要对当值的祭司说，‘今天我们要向我们的上帝耶和华宣告，我们已经进入祂向我们祖先起誓要赐给我们的土地。’ 4祭司要从你们手中接过篮子，放在你们的上帝耶和华的祭坛前。 5你们要在你们的上帝耶和华面前宣告，‘我们的祖先原是到处流浪的亚兰人。他到埃及寄居时，家中人丁稀少，后来成为人口众多的强大民族。 6埃及人苦待我们，压迫我们，强迫我们做奴隶。 7于是，我们呼求我们祖先的上帝耶和华。祂听见我们的呼求，看见我们的艰难、困苦和所受的压迫， 8就伸出臂膀，用大能的手行神迹奇事，以伟大而可畏的作为带领我们离开埃及。 9祂带领我们来到这个地方，把这奶蜜之乡赐给我们。 10耶和华啊，现在我们从你赐给我们的土地上带来初熟的物产。’你们要把篮子放在你们的上帝耶和华面前，敬拜祂。 11你们和利未人以及住在你们中间的外族人，都要因你们的上帝耶和华赐给你们和你们家人的美物而欢喜快乐。
十一奉献年
12“每逢第三年是十一奉献年。你们应当把自己的十一奉献拿出来分给利未人、寄居者和孤儿寡妇，使他们在你们居住的城邑吃饱喝足。 13然后，你们要在你们的上帝耶和华面前宣告，‘我们已经按照你的诫命，从我们家里拿出圣物分给利未人、寄居者和孤儿寡妇。我们没有触犯也没有忘记你的任何诫命。 14这些圣物，我们守丧期间没有吃过，不洁净时没有拿过，也没有献给死人。我们听从你——我们的上帝耶和华，遵行你的一切吩咐。 15求你从天上圣洁的居所垂看，赐福给你的以色列子民和你赐给我们的土地——你向我们祖先起誓应许的奶蜜之乡。’
16“你们的上帝耶和华今天吩咐你们遵守这些律例和典章，你们要全心全意地谨慎遵守。 17你们今天已经宣称耶和华是你们的上帝，答应要听从祂，行祂的道，遵守祂的一切律例、诫命和典章。 18耶和华今天已经照祂的应许宣称你们是祂的子民，是祂宝贵的产业。因此，你们要遵守祂的一切诫命， 19这样祂必使你们备受赞誉和尊崇，超越祂所造的万国，并照着祂的应许使你们做属于祂的圣洁子民。”
