Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 Once you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and are settled there,
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Once you enter the land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance and take it over and settle down,
2 take some of the early produce of the fertile ground that you have harvested from the land the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket. Then go to the location the LORD your God selects for his name to reside.
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you are to take some of all the firstfruits of what you grow in the land that God, your God, is giving you, put them in a basket and go to the place God, your God, sets apart for you to worship him.
3 Go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him: "I am declaring right now before the LORD my God that I have indeed arrived in the land the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us."
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At that time, go to the priest who is there and say, "I announce to God, your God, today that I have entered the land that God promised our ancestors that he'd give to us."
4 The priest will then take the basket from you and place it before the LORD your God's altar.
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The priest will take the basket from you and place it on the Altar of God, your God.
5 Then you should solemnly state before the LORD your God: "My father was a starving Aramean. He went down to Egypt, living as an immigrant there with few family members, but that is where he became a great nation, mighty and numerous.
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And there in the Presence of God, your God, you will recite, A wandering Aramean was my father, he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, he and just a handful of his brothers at first, but soon they became a great nation, mighty and many.
6 The Egyptians treated us terribly, oppressing us and forcing hard labor on us.
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The Egyptians abused and battered us, in a cruel and savage slavery.
7 So we cried out for help to the LORD, our ancestors' God. The LORD heard our call. God saw our misery, our trouble, and our oppression.
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We cried out to God, the God-of-Our-Fathers: He listened to our voice, he saw our destitution, our trouble, our cruel plight.
8 The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with awesome power, and with signs and wonders.
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And God took us out of Egypt with his strong hand and long arm, terrible and great, with signs and miracle-wonders.
9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land—a land full of milk and honey.
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And he brought us to this place, gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
10 So now I am bringing the early produce of the fertile ground that you, LORD, have given me." Set the produce before the LORD your God, bowing down before the LORD your God.
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So here I am. I've brought the firstfruits of what I've grown on this ground you gave me, O God.
11 Then celebrate all the good things the LORD your God has done for you and your family—each one of you along with the Levites and the immigrants who are among you.
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And rejoice! Celebrate all the good things that God, your God, has given you and your family; you and the Levite and the foreigner who lives with you.
12 When you have finished paying the entire tenth part of your produce on the third year—that is the year for paying the tenth-part—you will give it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows so they can eat in your cities until they are full.
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Every third year, the year of the tithe, give a tenth of your produce to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow so that they may eat their fill in your cities.
13 Then announce before the LORD your God: "I have removed the holy portion from my house, and I have given it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows—in full compliance with your entire commandment that you commanded me. I haven't broken your commandments. I haven't forgotten one!
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And then, in the Presence of God, your God, say this: I have brought the sacred share, I've given it to the Levite, foreigner, orphan, and widow. What you commanded, I've done. I haven't detoured around your commands, I haven't forgotten a single one.
14 I haven't eaten from the holy portion while mourning, nor did I remove it while I was polluted, nor have I dedicated any of it to the dead. I've obeyed the LORD my God's voice. I've done everything just as you commanded me.
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I haven't eaten from the sacred share while mourning, I haven't removed any of it while ritually unclean, I haven't used it in funeral feasts. I have listened obediently to the Voice of God, my God, I have lived the way you commanded me.
15 Please look down from your holy home, from heaven itself, and bless your people Israel and the fertile land that you have given us—a land full of milk and honey—just like you promised our ancestors."
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Look down from your holy house in Heaven! Bless your people Israel and the ground you gave us, just as you promised our ancestors you would, this land flowing with milk and honey.
16 This very moment the LORD your God is commanding you to keep these regulations and case laws. So keep them and do them with all your mind and with your entire being!
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This very day God, your God, commands you to follow these rules and regulations, to live them out with everything you have in you.
17 Today you have affirmed that the LORD will be your God and that you will walk in his ways and follow his regulations, his commandments, and his case laws, and that you will obey his voice.
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You've renewed your vows today that God is your God, that you'll live the way he shows you; do what he tells you in the rules, regulations, and commandments; and listen obediently to him.
18 Today the LORD has gotten your agreement that you will be his treasured people, just like he promised—by keeping his commandments—
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And today God has reaffirmed that you are dearly held treasure just as he promised, a people entrusted with keeping his commandments,
19 in order to set you high above all the other nations that he made in praise, fame, and honor; and so that you are a people holy to the LORD your God, just as he said you would be.
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a people set high above all other nations that he's made, high in praise, fame, and honor: you're a people holy to God, your God. That's what he has promised.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.