Deuteronomy 12

Laws of the Sanctuary

1“TheseH428 are the statutesH2706 and the judgmentsH4941 whichH834 you shall carefullyH8104 1followH6213 in the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of your fathersH1, has givenH5414 you to possessH3423 23asH3605H3117 longH3605H3117 as you liveH2416 on the 4earthH127. 2You shall utterlyH6 destroyH6 allH3605 the placesH4725 whereH834H8033 the nationsH1471 whomH834 you are going to dispossessH3423 serveH5647 their godsH430, on the 5highH7311 mountainsH2022, on the hillsH1389, and underH8478 everyH3605 leafyH7488 treeH6086. 3And 6you shall tearH5422 downH5422 their altarsH4196 and smashH7665 their memorialH4676 stonesH4676 toH7665 piecesH7665, and burnH8313 their 7AsherimH842 in the fireH784, and cutH1438 toH1438 piecesH1438 the carvedH6456 imagesH6456 of their godsH430; and you shall 8eliminateH6 their nameH8034 from that placeH4725. 4You shall not actH6213 thisH3651 wayH3651 toward the LordH3068 your GodH430. 59But 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 you shall comeH935 thereH8033. 6You shall bringH935 thereH8033 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930, your sacrificesH2077, 10your tithesH4643, the 11contributionH8641 of your handH3027, your vowedH5088 offeringsH5088, your 12voluntaryH5071 offeringsH5071, and the firstbornH1060 of your herdH1241 and of your flockH6629. 7ThereH8033 you and your householdsH1004 shall eatH398 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430, and 13rejoiceH8055 in allH3605 14your undertakingsH3027H4916 in whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has blessedH1288 you.

8“You shall not doH6213 at allH3605 whatH834 we are doingH6213 hereH6311 todayH3117, 15everyoneH376 doing whateverH3605 is rightH3477 in his own eyesH5869; 9for you have not as yetH6258 comeH935 to 16the restingH4496 placeH4496 and the 17inheritanceH5159 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you. 10When you crossH5674 the JordanH3383 and liveH3427 in the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5157 you asH5157 anH5157 inheritanceH5157, and 18He givesH5117 you restH5117 from allH3605 your enemiesH340 aroundH5439 you so that you liveH3427 in securityH983, 1119then it shall comeH1961 aboutH1961 that the placeH4725 in whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will chooseH977 for His nameH8034 to dwellH7931, thereH8033 you shall bringH935 everythingH3605 that I commandH6680 you: your burntH5930 offeringsH5930 and your sacrificesH2077, your tithesH4643 and the 20contributionH8641 of your handH3027, and allH3605 your choiceH4005 vowedH5088 offeringsH5088 whichH834 you will vowH5088 to the LordH3068. 12And you shall 21rejoiceH8055 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430, you and your sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323, your maleH5650 and femaleH519 slavesH5650H519, and the 22LeviteH3881 whoH834 is within your gatesH8179, sinceH3588 23he hasH369 noH369 portionH2506 or inheritanceH5159 with you.

13“24BeH8104 carefulH8104 that you do not offerH5927 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930 in anyH3605 cultic placeH4725 that you seeH7200, 14but only in the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977 in oneH259 of your tribesH7626: thereH8033 you shall offerH5927 your burntH5930 offeringsH5930, and thereH8033 you shall doH6213 everythingH3605 that I commandH6680 you.

15“25HoweverH7534, you may slaughterH2076 and eatH398 meatH1320 within anyH3605 of your gatesH8179, 26whateverH3605 you desireH185, according to the blessingH1293 of the LordH3068 your GodH430 whichH834 He has givenH5414 you; the uncleanH2931 and the cleanH2889 alike may eatH398 it, as 27the gazelleH6643 and the deerH354. 1628OnlyH7534 you shall not eatH398 the bloodH1818; 29you are to pourH8210 it outH8210 on the groundH776 like waterH4325. 1730You are not allowedH3201 to eatH398 within your gatesH8179 the titheH4643 of your grainH1715, newH8492 wineH8492, or oilH3323, or the firstbornH1060 of your herdH1241 or flockH6629, or anyH3605 of your vowedH5088 offeringsH5088 whichH834 you vowH5087, or your 31voluntaryH5071 offeringsH5071, or the 32contributionH8641 of your handH3027. 18But 33you shall eatH398 them beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430 in 34the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will chooseH977, you and your sonH1121 and daughterH1323, and your maleH5650 and femaleH519 slavesH5650H519, and the 35LeviteH3881 whoH834 is within your gatesH8179; and you shall 36rejoiceH8055 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430 in allH3605 37your undertakingsH3027H4916. 1938BeH8104 carefulH8104 that you do not abandonH5800 the LeviteH3881 39asH3605H3117 longH3605H3117 as you liveH3117 in your landH127.

20“WhenH3588 the LordH3068 your GodH430 extendsH7337 your borderH1366 40as He has 41promisedH1696 you, and you sayH559, ‘I will eatH398 meatH1320,’ becauseH3588 42you desireH183 to eatH398 meatH1320, then you may eatH398 meatH1320, 43whateverH3605 you desireH185. 21IfH3588 the placeH4725 whereH834H8033 the LordH3068 your GodH430 choosesH977 to putH7760 His nameH8034 isH7368 tooH4480 farH7368 from you, then you may slaughterH2076 animals from your herdH1241 and flockH6629 whichH834 the LordH3068 has givenH5414 you, as I have commandedH6680 you; and you may eatH398 within your gatesH8179 44whateverH3605 you desireH185. 22JustH389H3512 as a gazelleH6643 or a deerH354 is eatenH398, soH3651 you may eatH398 it; the uncleanH2931 and the cleanH2889 alikeH3164 may eatH398 it. 23OnlyH7534 beH2388 sureH2388 45not to eatH398 the bloodH1818, for the bloodH1818 is the 46lifeH5315, and you shall not eatH398 the 47lifeH5315 with the fleshH1320. 24You shall not eatH398 it; you shall pourH8210 it outH8210 on the groundH776 like waterH4325. 25You shall not eatH398 it, soH4616 thatH4616 48it may goH3190 wellH3190 for you and your sonsH1121 afterH310 you, sinceH3588 49you will be doingH6213 whatH3477 isH3477 rightH3477 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068. 2650OnlyH7534 your holyH6944 thingsH6944 whichH834 you may haveH1961 and your vowedH5088 offeringsH5088, you shall takeH5375 and goH935 to the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977. 27And 51you 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 outH8210 on the altarH4196 of the LordH3068 your GodH430, and 52you shall eatH398 the fleshH1320.

28“BeH8104 carefulH8104 and listenH8085 to allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 whichH834 I am commandingH6680 you, soH4616 thatH4616 53it may goH3190 wellH3190 for you and your sonsH1121 afterH310 you foreverH5704H5769, for you will be doingH6213 whatH2896 isH2896 goodH2896 and rightH3477 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068 your GodH430.

29“WhenH3588 54the LordH3068 your GodH430 cutsH3772 offH3772 from you the nationsH1471 whichH834 you are goingH935 inH935 to dispossessH3423, and you dispossessH3423 them and liveH3427 in their landH776, 30beH8104 carefulH8104 that you are not ensnaredH5367 55to followH310 them, afterH310 they are destroyedH8045 from your presenceH6440, and that you do not inquireH1875 about their godsH430, sayingH559, ‘HowH351 do theseH428 nationsH1471 serveH5647 their godsH430, that I alsoH1571 may doH6213 likewiseH3651?’ 3156You shall not behaveH6213 thisH3651 wayH3651 toward the LordH3068 your GodH430, becauseH3588 everyH3605 abominableH8441 actH8441 whichH834 the LordH3068 hatesH8130, they have doneH6213 for their godsH430; for 57they evenH1571 burnH8313 their sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323 in the fireH784 for their godsH430.

32“5859WhateverH3605H1697H834 I commandH6680 you, you shall beH8104 carefulH8104 to doH6213; 60you shall not addH3254 to norH3808 takeH1639 anything awayH1639 from it.