Offering Firstfruits and Tithes (Leviticus 27:30–34; Deuteronomy 14:22–29; Nehemiah 13:10–14)
1 UST After you arrive and settle in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you to own forever, BSB BSB: When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and settle in it,
2 UST each of you must put some of the first crops that you harvest from the land that Yahweh our God is giving you in a basket. Take them to the place that Yahweh will have chosen for you to worship. BSB BSB: you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your 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 the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name,
3 UST Go to the high priest who is serving at that time and say to him,‘Yahweh our God solemnly promised our ancestors to give us this land. Today{ by this offering} I declare to him that I am settled here{ in fulfillment of his promise}.’ BSB BSB: to the priest who is serving at that time, and say to him, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have entered the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.”
4 UST Then the priest must take the basket of food from you and hold it in front of the altar for sacrificing to Yahweh our God. BSB BSB: Then the priest shall take the basket from your hands and place it before the altar of the LORD your God,
6 UST Then the people of Egypt acted very harshly toward them, and they forced them to become their slaves and to work very hard. BSB BSB: But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.
7 UST Then our ancestors prayed to you, Yahweh our God, and you heard them. You saw that they were suffering, and that the Egyptians were forcing them to work very hard and oppressing them. BSB BSB: So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.
8 UST Then by your great power and by performing many kinds of miracles, and other terrifying things, you brought them out of Egypt. BSB BSB: Then the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, signs, and wonders.
9 UST You brought us to this land and gave it to us, a land that is very fertile. BSB BSB: And He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 UST So now, Yahweh, I have brought to you the first part of the harvest from the land that you gave me.’ Then you must set the basket down in Yahweh’ s presence and worship him there. BSB BSB: And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land that You, O LORD, have given me.” Then you are to place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before Him.
11 UST Then you must celebrate{ by eating a meal together} to thank Yahweh our God for all the good things that he has given to you and to your family. You must invite the descendants of Levi and the foreigners who are living among you to also rejoice{ and eat with you}. BSB BSB: So you shall rejoice—you, the Levite, and the foreigner dwelling among you—in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.
12 UST Every third year, you must bring to the descendants of Levi, to the foreigners who are living among you, to the orphans, and to the widows the offering of a tenth of your crops, in order that in every town they will have plenty to eat. BSB BSB: When you have finished laying aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat and be filled within your gates.
13 UST Then you must say to Yahweh our God,‘I have brought to you, from my house, all of the tenth from my harvest this year that I have set aside for you. I am giving it to the descendants of Levi, to the foreigners, to the orphans, and to the widows, as you commanded us to do. I have not disobeyed any of your commands{ about the tenth portion}, and I have not forgotten any of your commands{ about it}. BSB BSB: Then you shall declare in the presence of 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 the commandments You have given me. I have not transgressed or forgotten Your commandments.
14 UST I have not eaten any food from the tenth portion while I was mourning{ for someone who died}. I have not taken any of it out of my house while I was in any condition unacceptable to you. I have not offered any of it to spirits of dead people. Yahweh my God, I have obeyed you and done everything that you have commanded us concerning the tenth portion. BSB BSB: I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything You commanded me.
15 UST So please look down from your holy living place in heaven, and bless us, your Israelite people. Also bless this very fertile land which you have given to us, as you promised our ancestors you would give it to us.’ BSB BSB: Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land You have given us as You swore to our fathers—a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Obey the LORD’s Commands 16 UST Today Yahweh our God is commanding you to obey all these rules and decrees. So obey them faithfully, with all that you are. BSB BSB: The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.
17 UST Today you have declared that it is Yahweh who is your God, and that you will conduct your lives as he wants you to do, that you will obey all his commands, rules, and decrees, and that you will do all that he tells you to do. BSB BSB: Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.
18 UST And today Yahweh has declared that you are his people, like a prized possession, which is what he promised that you would be, and he commands you to obey all his commands. BSB BSB: And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
19 UST If you do that, he will cause you to become greater than any other nation that he has established. Other nations will consider you famous and beautiful, and they will praise you. You will be a special people to Yahweh, set apart and holy to him, just as he promised.” BSB BSB: that He will set you high in praise and name and honor above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a holy people to the LORD your God, as He has promised.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.