Deut 12
1
These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land
which YHWH, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess it, all the days that
you live upon the earth.
2
You shall surely destroy all the places wherein the nations that you shall dispossess
served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green
tree:
3
and you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn
their Asherim with fire; and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and
you shall destroy their name out of that place.
4
You shall not do so to YHWH your God.
5
But to the place which YHWH your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his
name there, even to his habitation shall you seek, and there you shall come;
6
and there you shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes,
and the heave-offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and
the firstlings of your herd and of your flock:
7
and there you shall eat before YHWH your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you
put your hand to, you and your households, wherein YHWH your God has blessed you.
8
You shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatever
is right in his own eyes;
9
for you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which YHWH your God
gives you.
10
But when you go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which YHWH your God causes
you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you
dwell in safety;
11
then it shall come to pass that to the place which YHWH your God shall choose, to
cause his name to dwell there, there shall you bring all that I command you: your
burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your
hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to YHWH.
12
And you shall rejoice before YHWH your God, you, and your sons, and your daughters,
and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your
gates, seeing that as he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
13
Take heed to yourself that you offer not your burnt-offerings in every place that
you see;
14
but in the place which YHWH shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer
your burnt-offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
15
Notwithstanding, you may kill and eat flesh within all your gates, after all the desire
of your soul, according to the blessing of YHWH your God which he has given you: the
unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart.
16
Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out upon the earth as water.
17
You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or
of your oil, or the firstlings of your herd or of your flock, nor any of your vows
which you vow, nor your freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering of your hand;
18
but you shall eat them before YHWH your God in the place which YHWH your God shall
choose, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your man-servant, and your maid-servant,
and the Levite that is within your gates: and you shall rejoice before YHWH your God
in all that you put your hand to.
19
Take heed to yourself that you forsake not the Levite as long as you live in your
land.
20
When YHWH 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,
after all the desire of your soul.
21
If the place which YHWH your God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from
you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which YHWH has given you,
as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of
your soul.
22
Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so you shall eat thereof: the unclean
and the clean may eat thereof alike.
23
Only be sure that you eat not 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 out upon the earth as water.
25
You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you,
when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of YHWH.
26
Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the
place which YHWH shall choose:
27
and you shall offer your burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar
of YHWH your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar
of YHWH your God; and you shall eat the flesh.
28
Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you,
and with your children after you for ever, when you do that which is good and right
in the eyes of YHWH your God.
29
When YHWH your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess
them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land;
30
take heed to yourself that you be not ensnared to follow them, after that they are
destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, How
do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31
You shall not do so to YHWH your God: for every abomination to YHWH, which he hates,
have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn
in the fire to their gods.
32
What thing soever I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add thereto,
nor diminish from it.