Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 307
14:17–15:5
D e u teronom y
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owl, the barn owl, the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture, the cormorant, the
stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.
“All winged insects that walk along the ground are ceremonially unclean
for you and may not be eaten. But you may eat any winged bird or insect
that is ceremonially clean.
“You must not eat anything that has died a natural death. You may give
it to a foreigner living in your town, or you may sell it to a stranger. But do
not eat it yourselves, for you are set apart as holy to the Lord your God.
“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
“You must set aside a tithe of your c rops—one-tenth of all the crops you
harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the
place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be h onored—and eat it
there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive
oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach
you always to fear the Lord your God.
“Now when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the
place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far
for you to bring the tithe. If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops
and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the Lord your
God has chosen. When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any
kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink.
Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with
your household. And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will
receive no allotment of land among you.
“At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest
and store it in the nearest town. Give it to the Levites, who will receive no
allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you,
the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
“At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone
who owes you money. This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel
the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand
payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release
has arrived. This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow
Israelites—not to the foreigners living among you.
“There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will
greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You
will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of
