Deuteronomy 12:1-16 ▼

1 These are the statutes and ordinances you⁺ must be careful to follow all the days you⁺ live in the land that the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of your fathers, has given you to possess.

2 Destroy completely all the places where the nations you⁺ are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

3 Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles (goddess), cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

4 You⁺ shall not worship the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem} in this way.

5 Instead, you⁺ must seek the place the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem} will choose from among all your⁺ tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

6 To that place you⁺ are to bring your⁺ burnt offerings and sacrifices, your⁺ tithes and heave offerings, your⁺ vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your⁺ herds and flocks.

7 There, in the presence of the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem}, you and your⁺ households shall eat and rejoice in all you⁺ do, because the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheka} has blessed you.

8 You⁺ are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right in his own eyes.

9 For you⁺ have not yet come to the resting place and the inheritance that the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheka} is giving you.

10 When you⁺ cross the Jordan (flowing down) and live in the land that the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem} is giving you⁺ as an inheritance, and He gives you⁺ rest from all the enemies around you⁺ and you⁺ dwell securely,

11 then the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem} will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you⁺ are to bring everything I command you⁺: your⁺ burnt offerings and sacrifices, your⁺ tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you⁺ vow to the LORD.

12 And you⁺ shall rejoice before the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem}—you⁺, your⁺ sons and daughters, your⁺ menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your⁺ gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you⁺.

13 Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see;

14 you must offer them only in the place the LORD {YHWH} will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.

15 But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheka} has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,

16 but you⁺ must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.