Page:Rural Hours.djvu/443

Rh shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shalt choose to place his name there.

“And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him: ‘I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us.’

“And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.

“And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, ‘A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous;’

“ ‘And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.

“ ‘And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our afflictions, and our labor, and our oppression:

“ ‘And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

“ ‘And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

“ ‘And now, behold, I have brought the first-fruits of the land which thou, O Lord, hast given me.’

“And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God.

“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house; thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.”—Deut. xxvi., 1-11.