Deuteronomy
12:1-32
[1] “These
are the laws and right-rulings which you guard to do in the land which יהוה Elohim of
your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the soil.
[2] “Completely
destroy all the places where the nations which you are dispossessing served
their mighty ones, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green
tree.
[3] “And you shall
break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and burn their Ashĕrim with
fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their mighty ones and shall
destroy their name1 out of that
place. Footnote: 1The names of the gentile
deities (mighty ones).
[4] “Do not do so to יהוה
your Elohim,
[5] but seek the
place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His Name
there, for His Dwelling Place, and there you shall enter.
[6] “And there you
shall take your burnt offerings, and your offerings, and your tithes, and the
contributions of your hand, and your vowed offerings, and your voluntary
offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock.
[7] “And there you
shall eat before יהוה your Elohim, and shall rejoice in
all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which יהוה
your Elohim has blessed you.
[8] “Do not do as we
are doing here today – each one doing whatever is right in his own eyes1. Footnote: 1See Jud. 17:6 & 21:25.
[9] “Because you have
not yet entered the rest and the inheritance which יהוה your Elohim
is giving you.
[10] “But you shall
pass over the Yardĕn, and shall dwell in the land which יהוה your Elohim
is giving you to inherit, and He shall give you rest from all your enemies
round about, and you shall dwell in safety.
[11] “And it shall be,
that unto the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His
Name dwell there, there you are to bring all that I command you: your burnt
offerings, and your offerings, and your tithes, and the contributions of your
hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to יהוה.
[12] “And you shall
rejoice before יהוה your Elohim, you and your sons and your daughters, and your
male servants and your female servants, and the Lĕwite who is within your
gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
[13] “Guard yourself
that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see,
[14] except in the
place which יהוה chooses, in one of your tribes, there you are to offer your
burnt offerings, and there you are to do all that I command you.
[15] “Only, whatever
your being desires you shall slaughter and eat, according to the blessing of יהוה
your Elohim which He has given you, within all your gates. The unclean and the
clean do eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.
[16] “Only, the blood
you do not eat, pour it on the earth like water.
[17] “You are not
allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine,
or of your oil, or of the firstlings of your herd or your flock, or of any of
your offerings which you vow, or of your voluntary offerings, or of the
contribution of your hand.
[18] “But eat them
before יהוה
your Elohim, in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, you and your
son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lĕwite
who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim
in all that you put your hands to.
[19] “Guard yourself
that you do not forsake the Lĕwite as long as you live in your land.
[20] “When יהוה
your Elohim enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me
eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you eat as much meat as your being
desires.
[21] “When the place
where יהוה
your Elohim chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you shall
slaughter from your herd and from your flock which יהוה has given
you, as I have commanded you, and you shall eat within your gates as much as
your being desires.
[22] “Only, as the
gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you are to eat of it. The unclean and the
clean alike eat of it.
[23] “Only, be firm
not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, do not eat the life with the
meat.
[24] “Do not eat it,
you pour it on the earth like water.
[25] “Do not eat it,
that it might be well with you and your children after you, when you do what is
right in the eyes of יהוה.
[26] “Only, the
set-apart gifts which you have, and your vowed offerings, you are to
take up and go to the place which יהוה chooses.
[27] “And you shall
make your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of יהוה
your Elohim. And the blood of your offerings is poured out on the altar of יהוה
your Elohim, and you eat the meat.
[28] “Guard, and obey
all these words which I command you, that it might be well with you and your
children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of יהוה
your Elohim.
[29] “When יהוה
your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to
dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land,
[30] guard yourself
that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before
you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did
these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do
so too.’1 Footnote: 1See
also 18:9, Lev. 18:3, Jer.10:2, Ezek. 11:12 & 20:32, Eph. 4:17, and 1 Peter
4:3
[31] “Do not do so to יהוה
your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה hates they
have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in
the fire to their mighty ones.
[32] “All the words I
am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it
nor take away from it.1 Footnote: 1See
also 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19.