Deuteronomy 12

Laws of the Sanctuary

1“TheseH428 are the statutesH2706 and the judgmentsH4941 whichH834 you shall carefullyH6213 observeH8104 in the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of your fathersH1, has givenH5414 you to possessH3423 12as longH3605H3117 as you liveH2416 on the 3earthH127. 2You shall utterlyH6 destroyH6 allH3605 the placesH4725 whereH834H8033 the nationsH1471 whomH834 you shall dispossessH3423 serveH5647 their godsH430, on the 4highH7311 mountainsH2022 and on the hillsH1389 and underH8478 everyH3605 greenH7488 treeH6086. 35You shall tearH5422 downH5422 their altarsH4196 and smashH7665 their sacred pillarsH4676 and burnH8313 their 6AsherimH842 with fireH784, and you shall cutH1438 downH1438 the engravedH6456 imagesH6456 of their godsH430 and 7obliterateH6 their nameH8034 from that placeH4725. 4You shall not actH6213 likeH3651 thisH3651 toward the LordH3068 your GodH430. 58But you shall seekH1875 the Lord at the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will chooseH977 from allH3605 your tribesH7626, to establishH7760 His nameH8034 thereH8033 for His dwellingH7931, and thereH8033 you shall comeH935. 6ThereH8033 you shall bringH935 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930, your sacrificesH2077, 9your tithesH4643, the 10contributionH8641 of your handH3027, your votiveH5088 offeringsH5088, your freewillH5071 offeringsH5071, and the firstbornH1060 of your herdH1241 and of your flockH6629. 7ThereH8033 also you and your householdsH1004 shall eatH398 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430, and 11rejoiceH8055 in allH3605 12your undertakingsH3027H4916 in whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has blessedH1288 you.

8“You shall not doH6213 at allH3605 whatH834 we are doingH6213 hereH6311 todayH3117, 13everyH376 manH376 doing whateverH3605 is rightH3477 in his own eyesH5869; 9for you have not as yetH6258 comeH935 to 14the restingH4496 placeH4496 and the 15inheritanceH5159 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you. 10When you crossH5674 the JordanH3383 and liveH3427 in the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is giving you to inheritH5157, and 16He givesH5117 you restH5117 from allH3605 your enemiesH340 aroundH5439 you so that you liveH3427 in securityH983, 1117then it shall comeH1961 about that the placeH4725 in whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will chooseH977 for His nameH8034 to dwellH7931, thereH8033 you shall bringH935 allH3605 that I commandH6680 you: your burntH5930 offeringsH5930 and your sacrificesH2077, your tithesH4643 and the 18contributionH8641 of your handH3027, and allH3605 your choiceH977 votiveH5088 offeringsH5088 whichH834 you will vowH5088 to the LordH3068. 12And you shall 19rejoiceH8055 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430, you and your sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323, your maleH5650 and femaleH519 servantsH5650H519, and the 20LeviteH3881 whoH834 is within your gatesH8179, sinceH3588 21he hasH369 noH369 portionH2506 or inheritanceH5159 with you.

13“22Be carefulH8104 that you do not offerH5927 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930 in everyH3605 cultic placeH4725 you seeH7200, 14but in the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977 in oneH259 of your tribesH7626, thereH8033 you shall offerH5927 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930, and thereH8033 you shall doH6213 allH3605 that I commandH6680 you.

15“23HoweverH7534, you may slaughterH2076 and eatH398 meatH1320 within anyH3605 of your gatesH8179, 24whateverH3605 you desireH185, according to the blessingH1293 of the LordH3068 your GodH430 whichH834 He has givenH5414 you; the uncleanH2931 and the cleanH2889 may eatH398 of it, as of 25the gazelleH6643 and the deerH354. 1626OnlyH7534 you shall not eatH398 the bloodH1818; 27you are to pourH8210 it out on the groundH776 like waterH4325. 1728You are not allowedH3201 to eatH398 within your gatesH8179 the titheH4643 of your grainH1715 or newH8492 wineH8492 or oilH3323, or the firstbornH1060 of your herdH1241 or flockH6629, or anyH3605 of your votiveH5088 offeringsH5088 whichH834 you vowH5087, or your freewillH5071 offeringsH5071, or the 29contributionH8641 of your handH3027. 18But 30you shall eatH398 them beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430 in 31the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will chooseH977, you and your sonH1121 and daughterH1323, and your maleH5650 and femaleH519 servantsH5650H519, and the 32LeviteH3881 whoH834 is within your gatesH8179; and you shall 33rejoiceH8055 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430 in allH3605 34your undertakingsH3027H4916. 1935Be carefulH8104 that you do not forsakeH5800 the LeviteH3881 36as longH3605H3117 as you liveH3117 in your landH127.

20“WhenH3588 the LordH3068 your GodH430 extendsH7337 your borderH1366 37as He has promisedH1696 you, and you sayH559, ‘I will eatH398 meatH1320,’ becauseH3588 38you desireH183 to eatH398 meatH1320, then you may eatH398 meatH1320, 39whateverH3605 you desireH185. 21IfH3588 the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 choosesH977 to putH7760 His nameH8034 is too farH7368 from you, then you may slaughterH2076 of your herdH1241 and flockH6629 whichH834 the LordH3068 has givenH5414 you, as I have commandedH6680 you; and you may eatH398 within your gatesH8179 40whateverH3605 you desireH185. 22JustH389H3512 as a gazelleH6643 or a deerH354 is eatenH398, soH3651 you will eatH398 it; the uncleanH2931 and the cleanH2889 alikeH3164 may eatH398 of it. 23OnlyH7534 be sureH2388 41not to eatH398 the bloodH1818, for the bloodH1818 is the 42lifeH5315, and you shall not eatH398 the 43lifeH5315 with the fleshH1320. 24You shall not eatH398 it; you shall pourH8210 it out on the groundH776 like waterH4325. 25You shall not eatH398 it, soH4616 that 44it may be wellH3190 with you and your sonsH1121 afterH310 you, for 45you will be doingH6213 whatH3477 is rightH3477 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068. 2646OnlyH7534 your holyH6944 thingsH6944 whichH834 you may haveH1961 and your votiveH5088 offeringsH5088, you shall takeH5375 and goH935 to the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977. 27And 47you shall offerH6213 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930, the fleshH1320 and the bloodH1818, on the altarH4196 of the LordH3068 your GodH430; and the bloodH1818 of your sacrificesH2077 shall be pouredH8210 out on the altarH4196 of the LordH3068 your GodH430, and 48you shall eatH398 the fleshH1320.

28“Be carefulH8104 to listenH8085 to allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 whichH834 I commandH6680 you, soH4616 that 49it may be wellH3190 with you and your sonsH1121 afterH310 you foreverH5704H5769, for you will be doingH6213 whatH2896 is goodH2896 and rightH3477 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068 your GodH430.

29“WhenH3588 50the LordH3068 your GodH430 cutsH3772 offH3772 beforeH4480H6440 you the nationsH1471 whichH834 you are goingH935 in to dispossessH3423, and you dispossessH3423 them and dwellH3427 in their landH776, 30bewareH8104 that you are not ensnaredH5367 51to followH310 them, afterH310 they are destroyedH8045 beforeH4480H6440 you, and that you do not inquireH1875 after their godsH430, sayingH559, ‘HowH351 do theseH428 nationsH1471 serveH5647 their godsH430, that I alsoH1571 may doH6213 likewiseH3651?’ 3152You shall not behaveH6213 thusH3651 toward the LordH3068 your GodH430, for everyH3605 abominableH8441 actH8441 whichH834 the LordH3068 hatesH8130 they have doneH6213 for their godsH430; for 53they evenH1571 burnH8313 their sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323 in the fireH784 to their godsH430.

32“5455WhateverH3605H1697H834 I commandH6680 you, you shall be carefulH8104 to doH6213; 56you shall not addH3254 to norH3808 takeH1639 awayH1639 from it.