Deuteronomy Chapter 12

1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall take heed to do in the land which Jehovah the God of your fathers has given to you, to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth:

2 Destroying you shall destroy all the places where the nations which you are dispossessing served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

3 And you shall break down their altars, and shatter their standing pillars. And you shall burn their Asherahs with fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their gods, and shall destroy their names out of that place.

4 You shall not do so to Jehovah your God.

5 But you shall seek to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes; for you shall seek His dwelling, to put His name there. And you shall go there.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

6 And you shall bring your burnt offerings there, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offering, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock.

7 And you shall eat there before Jehovah your God, and shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, with which Jehovah your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

8 You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, each doing all that is right in his own eyes.

9 For you have not come to the rest and to the inheritance which Jehovah your God is giving to you.

10 And you shall cross over the Jordan, and shall live in the land which Jehovah your God is causing you to inherit. And He shall give you rest from all your enemies all around; and you shall live securely.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

11 And it shall be the place which Jehovah your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I am commanding you, your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice freewill offerings which you vow to Jehovah.

12 And you shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, you and your sons, and your daughters, and your male slaves, and your female slaves, and the Levite within your gates because he has no portion or inheritance with you.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

13 Take heed to yourself that you not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;

14 but in the place which Jehovah shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command.

15 Only with all the desire of your soul you shall sacrifice and shall eat flesh within all your gates according to the blessing of Jehovah your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean one may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the hart.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

16 Only, you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it as water on the earth.

17 You are not able to eat the tithe of your grain within your gates, and of your new wine, and your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock, and any of your vows which you vow, and your freewill offering, and the heave offering of your hand.

18 But you shall eat it before Jehovah your God in the place which Jehovah your God shall choose, you and your son, and your daughter, and your male slave, and your female slave, and the Levite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before Jehovah your God in all that you put your hand to.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live on the land.

20 Then Jehovah your God shall enlarge your border, as He has promised you, and you shall say, I will eat flesh, because your soul desires to eat flesh, you may eat flesh according to all the desire of your soul.

21 If the place which Jehovah your God shall choose to put His name there is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock which Jehovah has given you, as I have commanded you; and you shall eat within your gates according to all the desire of your soul.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

22 Only, as the gazelle and the hart are eaten, so you shall eat of it; the unclean and the clean may eat of it alike.

23 Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh;

24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth as water.

25 You shall not eat it in order that it may be well with you and with your sons after you, when you do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

26 Only, your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take up and shall go to the place which Jehovah shall choose.

27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Jehovah your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out by the altar of Jehovah your God; and you shall eat the flesh.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

28 Take heed to listen to all these Words which I am commanding you, in order that it may be well with you and with your sons after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the eyes of Jehovah your God.

29 When Jehovah your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you are going in to possess them, and you shall possess them, and shall live in their land,

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

30 take heed to yourself that you not be snared to follow them after they have been destroyed before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? And I shall do so, even I.

31 You shall not do so to Jehovah your God; for everything hateful to Jehovah, which He detests, they have done to their gods. For they have even burned their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12

32 All the things that I command you, take heed to do them and you shall not add to it, nor take away from it.