Diezmos y primicias
1Cuando hayas entrado en la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da como herencia, tomes posesión de ella y te establezcas allí, 2tomarás de las primicias de todo lo que produzca la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da y las pondrás en una canasta. Luego irás al lugar que el Señor tu Dios haya elegido como residencia de su Nombre 3y dirás al sacerdote que esté oficiando: «Hoy declaro, ante el Señor tu Dios, que he entrado en la tierra que él nos dio, tal como se lo juró a nuestros antepasados». 4El sacerdote tomará de tus manos la canasta y la pondrá frente al altar del Señor tu Dios. 5Entonces tú declararás ante el Señor tu Dios: «Mi padre fue un arameo errante y descendió a Egipto con poca gente. Vivió allí hasta llegar a ser una gran nación, fuerte y numerosa. 6Pero los egipcios nos maltrataron, nos hicieron sufrir y nos sometieron a trabajos forzados. 7Nosotros clamamos al Señor, el Dios de nuestros antepasados, y él escuchó nuestro ruego y vio nuestra miseria, nuestro trabajo y nuestra opresión. 8Por eso el Señor nos sacó de Egipto con actos portentosos y gran despliegue de poder, con señales, prodigios y milagros que provocaron gran terror. 9Nos trajo a este lugar y nos dio esta tierra, donde abundan la leche y la miel. 10Por eso ahora traigo las primicias de la tierra que tú, Señor, me has dado».
Acto seguido, pondrás la canasta delante del Señor tu Dios y te postrarás ante él. 11Y los levitas y los extranjeros celebrarán contigo todo lo bueno que el Señor tu Dios te ha dado a ti y a tu familia.
12Cuando ya hayas apartado la décima parte de todos tus productos del tercer año, que es el año del diezmo, se la darás al levita, al extranjero, al huérfano y a la viuda, para que coman y se sacien en tus ciudades. 13Entonces dirás al Señor tu Dios: «Ya he retirado de mi casa la porción consagrada a ti y se la he dado al levita, al extranjero, al huérfano y a la viuda, conforme a todo lo que tú me mandaste. No me he apartado de tus mandamientos ni los he olvidado. 14Mientras estuve de luto, no comí nada de esta porción consagrada; mientras estuve impuro, no tomé nada de ella ni se la ofrecí a los muertos. Señor mi Dios, yo te he obedecido y he hecho todo lo que me ordenaste. 15Mira desde el cielo, desde el santo lugar donde resides y, tal como se lo juraste a nuestros antepasados, bendice a tu pueblo Israel y a la tierra que nos has dado, tierra donde abundan la leche y la miel».
Exhortación a seguir los mandamientos del Señor
16Hoy el Señor tu Dios te ordena obedecer estos estatutos y leyes. Pon todo lo que esté de tu parte para practicarlos con todo tu corazón y con toda tu alma. 17Hoy has declarado que el Señor es tu Dios y que andarás en sus caminos, que prestarás oído a su voz y que cumplirás sus estatutos, mandamientos y leyes. 18Por su parte, hoy mismo el Señor ha declarado que tú eres su pueblo, su propiedad exclusiva, tal como lo prometió. Obedece, pues, todos sus mandamientos. 19El Señor ha declarado que te pondrá por encima de todas las naciones que ha formado, para que seas alabado y recibas fama y honra. Serás una nación consagrada al Señor tu Dios.
Give the Lord His Share
1You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. You will take it over. You will make your homes in the land. 2When you do, get some of the first share of everything your soil produces. Put it in a basket. It’s from the land the Lord your God is giving you. Take your gifts and go to the special place he will choose. He will put his Name there. 3Speak to the priest in office at that time. Tell him, “I announce today to the Lord your God that I have come to this land. It’s the land he promised to give us. He promised it to our people of long ago.” 4The priest will receive the basket from you. He’ll set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5Then you will speak while the Lord is listening. You will say, “My father Jacob was a wanderer from the land of Aram. He went down into Egypt with a few people. He lived there and became the father of a great nation. It had huge numbers of people. 6But the people of Egypt treated us badly. They made us suffer. They made us work very hard. 7Then we cried out to the Lord. He is the God of our people who lived long ago. He heard our voice. He saw how much we were suffering. The Egyptians were treating us badly. They were making us work very hard. 8So the Lord used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring us out of Egypt. He did great and terrifying things. He did signs and amazing things. 9He brought us to this place. He gave us this land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. 10Now, Lord, I’m bringing you the first share of crops from the soil. After all, you have given them to me.” Place the basket in front of the Lord your God. Bow down to him. 11Then you and the Levites and the outsiders among you will be full of joy. You will enjoy all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your family.
12You will set apart a tenth of everything you produce in the third year. That’s the year for giving the tenth to people who have greater needs. You will give it to the Levites, outsiders and widows. You will also give it to children whose fathers have died. Then all of them will have plenty to eat in your towns. 13Speak to the Lord your God. Say to him, “I have taken your sacred share from my house. I have given it to the Levites, outsiders and widows. I have also given it to children whose fathers have died. I’ve done everything you commanded me to do. I haven’t stopped obeying your commands. I haven’t forgotten any of them. 14I haven’t eaten any part of your sacred share while I mourned over someone who had died. I haven’t taken any of it from my house while I was ‘unclean.’ And I haven’t offered any of it to the dead. Lord my God, I’ve obeyed you. I’ve done everything you commanded me to do. 15Look down from the holy place where you live in heaven. Bless your people Israel. Bless the land you have given us. It’s the land you promised to give to our people of long ago. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey.”
Obey the Lord’s Commands
16This day the Lord your God commands you to obey all these rules and laws. Be careful to obey them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17Today you have announced that the Lord is your God. You have said you would live exactly as he wants you to live. You have agreed to keep his rules, commands and laws. And you have said you would listen to him. 18Today the Lord has announced that you are his people. He has said that you are his special treasure. He promised that you would be. He has told you to keep all his commands. 19He has announced that he will make you famous. He’ll give you more praise and honor than all the other nations he has made. And he has said that you will be a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. That’s exactly what he promised to do.
