CHAPTER 12
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
of your fathers,
has given
you to possess.
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.
Tear down
their altars,
smash
their sacred pillars,
burn up
their Asherah poles,
cut down
the idols
of their gods,
and wipe out
their names
from
every place.
Instead,
you must seek
the place
the LORD
your God
will choose
from among all
your tribes
to establish
as a dwelling
for His Name,
and there
you must go.
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.
There,
in the presence
of the LORD
your God,
you and your households
shall eat
and rejoice
in all
you do,
because
the LORD
your God
has blessed you.
You are not
to do
as
we
are doing
here
today,
where everyone
does what
seems right
in his own eyes.
For
you have not
yet
come
to
the resting place
and the inheritance
the LORD
your God
is giving you.
When you cross
the Jordan
and live
in the land
the LORD
your God
is giving you as an inheritance,
and He gives you rest
from all
the enemies
around you
and you live
in security,
then the LORD
your God
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.
And you shall rejoice
before
the LORD
your God—
you,
your sons
and daughters,
and your menservants
and maidservants,
and the Levite
within your gates,
since
he has no
portion
or inheritance
among you.
you must offer
them
only
in the place
the LORD
will choose
in one
of your tribal territories,
and there
you shall do
all
that
I
command you.
But
whenever
you
wish,
you may slaughter
and eat
meat
within any
of your gates,
according to the blessing
the LORD
your God
has given you.
Those who are clean
or unclean
may eat it,
as they would a gazelle
or deer,
Within your gates
you must
not
eat
the tithe
of your grain
or new wine
or oil,
the firstborn
of your herds
or flocks,
any
of the offerings
that
you have vowed to give,
or your freewill offerings
or special gifts.
Instead,
you must eat them
in the presence
of the LORD
your God
at the place
the LORD
your God
will choose—
you,
your sons
and daughters,
your menservants
and maidservants,
and the Levite
within your gates.
Rejoice
before
the LORD
your God
in all
you do,
When
the LORD
your God
expands
your territory
as
He has promised,
and you
crave
meat
and say,
“I want to eat
meat,”
you may eat
it
whenever
you
want.
If
the place
where
the LORD
your God
chooses
to put
His Name
is too far
from you,
you may slaughter
any of the herd
or flock
He
has given you,
as
I have commanded you,
and you may eat
it within your gates
whenever
you
want.
Indeed,
you may eat
it as
you would eat
a gazelle
or deer;
both
the clean
and the unclean
may eat it.
Only
be sure
not
to eat
the blood,
because
the blood
is the life,
and you must not
eat
the life
with
the meat.
Do not
eat it,
so that
it may go well
with you and your children
after you,
because
you will be doing
what is right
in the eyes
of the LORD.
But
you are to take
your holy things
and your vow offerings
and go
to
the place
the LORD
will choose.
Present
the meat
and blood
of your burnt offerings
on
the altar
of the LORD
your God.
The blood
of your other sacrifices
must be poured out
beside
the altar
of the LORD
your God,
but you may eat
the meat.
Be careful
to obey
all
these
things
I
command you,
so that
it may always go well
with you and your children
after you,
because
you will be doing
what is good
and right
in the eyes
of the LORD
your God.
When
the LORD
your God
cuts off
before you
the nations
you
are entering
to dispossess,
and you drive them out
and live
in their land,
be careful
not
to be ensnared
by their ways
after
they have been destroyed
before you.
Do not
inquire
about their gods,
asking,
“How
do these
nations
serve
their gods?
I will
do
likewise.”
You must not
worship
the LORD
your God
in this way,
because
they practice
for their gods
every
abomination
which
the LORD
hates.
They even
burn
their sons
and daughters
in the fire
as sacrifices to their gods.