12
1 And these are the ordinances and the judgments, which you⌃ shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of your fathers gives you for an inheritance, all the days which you⌃ live upon the land. 2 You⌃ shall utterly destroy all the places in which they served their gods, whose land you⌃ inherit, on the high mountains and on the hills, and under the thick tree. 3 And you⌃ shall destroy their altars, and break in pieces their pillars, and you⌃ shall cut down their groves, and you⌃ shall burn with fire the graven images of their gods, and you⌃ shall abolish their name out of that place. 4 You⌃ shall not do so to the Lord your God. 5 But in the place which the Lord your God shall choose in one of your cities to name his name there, and to be called upon, you⌃ shall even seek him out and go there. 6 And you⌃ shall carry there your whole burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your first fruits, and your * vowed-offerings, and your free will offerings, and your offerings of thanksgiving, the firstborn of your herds, and of your flocks. 7 And you⌃ shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you⌃ shall rejoice in all the things on which you⌃ shall lay your hand, you⌃ and your houses, as the Lord your God has blessed you. 8 You⌃ shall not do altogether as we do here today, every man that which is pleasing in his own sight. 9 For hitherto you⌃ have not arrived at the rest and the inheritance, which the Lord our God gives you. 10 And you⌃ shall go over Jordan, and shall dwell in the land, which the Lord our God takes as an inheritance for you; and he shall give you rest from all your enemies round about, and you⌃ shall dwell safely. 11 And there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose for his name to be called there, there shall you⌃ bring all things that I order you today; your whole burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the first fruits of your hands, and every choice gift of yours, whatever you⌃ shall vow to the Lord your God. 12 And you⌃ shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you⌃ and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite that is at your gates; because he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13 Take heed to yourself that you offer not your whole burnt offerings in any place which you shall see; 14 save in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, in one of your tribes, there shall you⌃ offer your whole burnt offerings, and there shall you do all things whatever I charge you this day. 15 But you shall kill according to all your desire, and shall eat flesh according to the blessing of the Lord your God, which he has given you in every city; the unclean that is within you and the clean shall eat it on equal terms, as the doe or the stag. 16 Only you⌃ shall not eat the blood; you⌃ shall pour it out on the ground as water. 17 You shall not be able to eat in your cities the tithe of your corn, and of your wine, and of your oil, the firstborn of your herd and of your flock, and all your vows as many as you⌃ shall have vowed, and your thank-offerings, and the first fruits of your hands. 18 But before the Lord your God you shall eat it, in the place which the Lord your God shall choose for himself, you, and your son, and your daughter, your man-servant, and your maidservant, and the stranger that is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, on whatever you shall lay your hand. 19 Take heed to yourself that you do not desert the Levite all the time that you live upon the earth. 20 And if the Lord your God shall enlarge your borders, as he said to you, and you shall say, I will eat flesh; if your soul should desire to eat flesh, you shall eat flesh † according to all the desire of your soul. 21 And if the place be far from you, which the Lord your God shall choose for himself, that his name be called upon it, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock which God shall have given you, even as I commanded you, and you shall eat in your cities according to the desire of your soul. 22 As the doe and the stag are eaten, so shall you eat it; the unclean in you and the clean shall eat it in like manner. 23 Take diligent heed that you eat no blood, for blood is the life of it; the life shall not be eaten with the flesh. 24 You⌃ shall not eat it; you⌃ shall pour it out on the ground as water. 25 You shall not eat it, that it may be well with you and with your sons after you, if you shall do that which is good and pleasing before the Lord your God. 26 But you shall take your holy things, if you have any, and your vowed-offerings, and come to the place which the Lord your God shall choose to have his name named upon it. 27 And you shall sacrifice your whole burnt offerings, you shall offer the flesh upon the altar of the Lord your God; but the blood of your sacrifices you shall pour out at the foot of the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you shall eat. 28 Beware and listen, and you shall do all the commands which I charge you, that it may be well with you and with your sons for ever, if you shall do that which is pleasing and good before the Lord your God. 29 And if the Lord your God shall utterly destroy the nations, to whom you go in there to inherit their land, from before you, and you shall inherit it, and dwell in their land; 30 take heed to yourself that you seek not to follow them after they are destroyed before you, saying, How do these nations act towards their gods? I will do likewise. 31 You shall not do so to your God; for they have sacrificed ‡ to their gods the abominations of the Lord which he hates, for they burn their sons and their daughters in fire to their gods. 32 Every word that I command you this day, it shall you observe to do: you shall not add to it, nor diminish from it.
* 12:6 Gr. vows. † 12:20 Gr. in all. ‡ 12:31 Gr. in, or, among.