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Deuteronomy 12
Lexham English Bible

Detailed Stipulations: Purity and Unity

12 “These are the rules and the regulations that you must diligently observe[a] in the land that Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,[b] has given to you to take possession of it, during all the days that you are living on the land.

2 You must completely demolish all of the places there where they served their gods, that is, the nations whom you are about to dispossess, on the high mountains, and on the hills and under each leafy green tree.[c] 3 And you shall break down their altars, and you shall smash their stone pillars, and their Asherah poles you must burn with fire, and the images of their gods you shall hew down, and you shall blot out their names from that place. 4 You shall not worship Yahweh your God like this. 5 But only[d] to the place that Yahweh your God will choose from all of your tribes to place his name there as his dwelling shall you seek, and there you shall go. 6 And you shall bring there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and your donations[e] and your votive gifts and your freewill offerings and the firstling of your herd and your flock. 7 And you shall eat there before[f] Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all your endeavors,[g] you and your family in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.

8 “You must not do just as we are doing here today,[h] each according to all that is right in his eyes.[i] 9 For you have not come up to now to the resting place and to the inheritance that Yahweh your God is giving to you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan, and you will settle in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give rest to you from all your enemies from all around, and you will live securely, 11 and then[j] at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, to let his name dwell there, there you shall bring all the things I am commanding you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations,[k] and all of the choice things, your votive gifts that you vow to Yahweh. 12 And you shall rejoice before[l] Yahweh your God, you and your sons and your daughters and your slaves and your slave women and the Levite who is in your towns,[m] because there is not for him a plot of ground and an inheritance with you.

13 “Take care for yourself so that you do not offer your burnt offerings at just any place that you happen to see, 14 but only[n] at the place that Yahweh will choose among one of your tribes; there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all the things that I am commanding you.

15 “But whenever you desire[o] you may slaughter, and you may eat meat according to the blessing of Yahweh your God that he has given to you in all of your towns;[p] the unclean and the clean may eat it just as they would the gazelle and as the deer. 16 Only the blood you must not eat, but on the ground you must pour it like water. 17 You are not allowed to eat in your towns[q] the tithe of your grain and your wine and your olive oil and the firstborn of your herd and your flock and all of your votive gifts that you vowed and your freewill offering and your donations.[r] 18 But only before[s] Yahweh your God you shall eat it, at the place that Yahweh your God will choose,[t] you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite who is in your towns,[u] and you must rejoice before[v] your God in all your undertakings.[w] 19 Take care[x] so that you do not neglect the Levite all of your days on your land.

20 “When Yahweh your God enlarges your territory just as he has promised[y] to you, and you say ‘I want to eat some meat,’ because you want it,[z] whenever you desire[aa] you may eat meat. 21 If the place that[ab] Yahweh your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, and you slaughter any of your herd and any of your flock that Yahweh has given to you just as I have commanded you, then you may eat whenever you desire in your towns.[ac] 22 Surely just as the gazelle and the deer is eaten, so both the unclean and the clean together may eat it. 23 Only, be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it, but on the ground you shall pour it out like water. 25 You shall not eat it, so that it will go well[ad] for you and your children after you, because then you will be doing what is[ae] right in the eyes of Yahweh. 26 Only your holy objects that are yours[af] and your votive gifts you must carry and you must bring to the place that Yahweh will choose. 27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood on the altar of Yahweh your God, and the blood of your sacrifices you shall pour out on the altar of Yahweh your God, but the meat you may eat. 28 Be careful to obey[ag] all these things that I am commanding you, so that it will go well[ah] for you and for your children after you forever,[ai] because then you will be doing what is[aj] good and right[ak] in the eyes of Yahweh your God.

29 “When Yahweh your God has cut off the nations whom you are about to go to,[al] to dispossess them before you,[am] and you have dispossessed them, and you live in their land, 30 take care[an] so that you are not ensnared into imitating them[ao] after their being destroyed from before you,[ap] and so that you not enquire concerning their gods, saying,[aq] ‘How did these nations serve their gods, and thus I myself[ar] want to do also.’ 31 You must not do so toward Yahweh your God, because of every detestable thing they have done for their gods Yahweh hates, for even their sons and their daughters they would burn in the fire to their gods. 32 [as] All of the things[at] that I am commanding you, you must diligently observe;[au] you shall not add to it, and you shall not take away from it.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:1 Literally “that you must observe to do”
  2. Deuteronomy 12:1 Or “fathers”
  3. Deuteronomy 12:2 Or “spreading tree”
  4. Deuteronomy 12:5 Literally “But if”
  5. Deuteronomy 12:6 Literally “the contributions of your hand”
  6. Deuteronomy 12:7 Literally “before the faces of”
  7. Deuteronomy 12:7 Literally “in all of the sending of your hand”
  8. Deuteronomy 12:8 Literally “the day”
  9. Deuteronomy 12:8 Literally “each man all of the right in his eyes”
  10. Deuteronomy 12:11 Literally “and it will happen”
  11. Deuteronomy 12:11 Literally “the contribution of your hand”
  12. Deuteronomy 12:12 Literally “the face of”
  13. Deuteronomy 12:12 Literally “gates”
  14. Deuteronomy 12:14 Literally “but only if”
  15. Deuteronomy 12:15 Literally “in all the wanting of your soul/inner self”
  16. Deuteronomy 12:15 Literally “gates”
  17. Deuteronomy 12:17 Literally “gates”
  18. Deuteronomy 12:17 Literally “the contribution of your hand”
  19. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “before the face of”
  20. Deuteronomy 12:18 Hebrew “choose it”
  21. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “gate”
  22. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “before the face of”
  23. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “in all of the sending of your hand”
  24. Deuteronomy 12:19 Literally “Watch for yourself”
  25. Deuteronomy 12:20 Literally “spoken”
  26. Deuteronomy 12:20 Literally “because your soul/inner self desires it”
  27. Deuteronomy 12:20 Literally “at/in all the wanting of your soul/inner self”
  28. Deuteronomy 12:21 Or “where”
  29. Deuteronomy 12:21 Literally “gates”
  30. Deuteronomy 12:25 Literally “it/he is good”
  31. Deuteronomy 12:25 Hebrew “the”
  32. Deuteronomy 12:26 Literally “that are for you”
  33. Deuteronomy 12:28 Literally “Watch carefully and listen”
  34. Deuteronomy 12:28 Literally “he/it is good”
  35. Deuteronomy 12:28 Literally “until ever”
  36. Deuteronomy 12:28 Hebrew “the”
  37. Deuteronomy 12:28 Hebrew “the right”
  38. Deuteronomy 12:29 Literally “about to go to there”
  39. Deuteronomy 12:29 Literally “from the face of you”
  40. Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “Watch for yourself”
  41. Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “after them”
  42. Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “from the face of you”
  43. Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “to say”
  44. Deuteronomy 12:30 Emphatic use of the pronoun
  45. Deuteronomy 12:32 Deuteronomy 12:32–13:18 in the English Bible is 13:1–19 in the Hebrew Bible
  46. Deuteronomy 12:32 Hebrew “thing”
  47. Deuteronomy 12:32 Literally “you must observe to do it”
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Deuteronomy 12
New English Translation

The Central Sanctuary

12 These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to obey as long as you live in the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors,[a] has given you to possess.[b] 2 You must by all means destroy[c] all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods—on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree.[d] 3 You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars,[e] burn up their sacred Asherah poles,[f] and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place. 4 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they worship. 5 But you must seek only the place he[g] chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence,[h] and you must go there. 6 And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared,[i] your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 Both you and your families[j] must feast there before the Lord your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he[k] has blessed you. 8 You must not do as we are doing here today, with everyone[l] doing what seems best to him, 9 for you have not yet come to the final stop[m] and inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 10 When you do go across the Jordan River[n] and settle in the land he[o] is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety.[p] 11 Then you must come to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing[q] everything I am commanding you—your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared,[r] and all your choice votive offerings that you devote to him.[s] 12 You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God, along with your sons, daughters, male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages[t] (since they have no allotment or inheritance with you).[u] 13 Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish, 14 for you may do so[v] only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas—there you may do everything I am commanding you.[w]

Regulations for Eating Sacrificial and Non-Sacrificial Foods

15 On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the Lord your God blesses you[x] in all your villages.[y] Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, whether it is a gazelle or an ibex. 16 However, you must not eat blood—pour it out on the ground like water. 17 You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings. 18 Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he[z] chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites[aa] in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.[ab] 19 Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.

The Sanctity of Blood

20 When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,”[ac] you may do so as you wish.[ad] 21 If the place he[ae] chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he[af] has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages[ag] just as you wish. 22 As you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them. 23 However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself[ah]—you must not eat the life with the meat. 24 You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water. 25 You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.[ai] 26 But the holy things and votive offerings that belong to you, you must pick up and take to the place the Lord will choose.[aj] 27 You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; the blood of your other sacrifices[ak] you must pour out on his[al] altar while you eat the meat. 28 Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

The Abomination of Pagan Gods

29 When the Lord your God eliminates the nations from the place where you are headed and you dispossess them, you will settle down in their land.[am] 30 After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do![an] For everything that is abhorrent[ao] to him,[ap] everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!

Idolatry and False Prophets

32 (13:1)[aq] You[ar] must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it![as]

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:1 tn Heb “fathers.”
  2. Deuteronomy 12:1 tn Heb “you must be careful to obey in the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days which you live in the land.” This adverbial statement modifies “to obey,” not “to possess,” so the order in the translation has been rearranged to make this clear.
  3. Deuteronomy 12:2 tn Heb “destroying you must destroy”; KJV “Ye shall utterly (surely ASV) destroy”; NRSV “must demolish completely.” The Hebrew infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by the words “by all means.”
  4. Deuteronomy 12:2 sn Every leafy tree. This expression refers to evergreens which, because they keep their foliage throughout the year, provided apt symbolism for nature cults such as those practiced in Canaan. The deity particularly in view is Asherah, wife of the great god El, who was considered the goddess of fertility and whose worship frequently took place at shrines near or among clusters (groves) of such trees (see also Deut 7:5). See J. Hadley, NIDOTTE 1:569-70; J. DeMoor, TDOT 1:438-44.
  5. Deuteronomy 12:3 sn Sacred pillars. These are the stelae (stone pillars; the Hebrew term is מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) associated with Baal worship, perhaps to mark a spot hallowed by an alleged visitation of the gods. See also Deut 7:5.
  6. Deuteronomy 12:3 sn Sacred Asherah poles. The Hebrew term (plural) is אֲשֵׁרִים (ʾasherim). See note on the word “(leafy) tree” in v. 2, and also Deut 7:5.
  7. Deuteronomy 12:5 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  8. Deuteronomy 12:5 tc Some scholars, on the basis of v. 11, emend the MT reading שִׁכְנוֹ (shikhno, “his residence”) to the infinitive construct לְשַׁכֵּן (leshakken, “to make [his name] to dwell”), perhaps with the third person masculine singular sf לְשַׁכְּנוֹ (leshakkeno, “to cause it to dwell”). Though the presupposed noun שֵׁכֶן (shekhen) is nowhere else attested, the parallel here with שַׁמָּה (shammah, “there”) favors retaining the MT as it stands.
  9. Deuteronomy 12:6 tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”
  10. Deuteronomy 12:7 tn Heb “and your houses,” referring to entire households. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in the Hebrew text.
  11. Deuteronomy 12:7 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  12. Deuteronomy 12:8 tn Heb “a man.”
  13. Deuteronomy 12:9 tn Heb “rest.”
  14. Deuteronomy 12:10 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  15. Deuteronomy 12:10 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  16. Deuteronomy 12:10 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 10-11 are one long, complex sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides this into two sentences.
  17. Deuteronomy 12:11 tn Heb “and it will be (to) the place where the Lord your God chooses to cause his name to dwell you will bring.”
  18. Deuteronomy 12:11 tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”
  19. Deuteronomy 12:11 tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  20. Deuteronomy 12:12 tn Heb “within your gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “who belongs to your community.”
  21. Deuteronomy 12:12 sn They have no allotment or inheritance with you. See note on the word “inheritance” in Deut 10:9.
  22. Deuteronomy 12:14 tn Heb “offer burnt offerings.” The expression “do so” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  23. Deuteronomy 12:14 sn This injunction to worship in a single and central sanctuary—one limited and appropriate to the thrice-annual festival celebrations (see Exod 23:14-17; 34:22-24; Lev 23:4-36; Deut 16:16-17)—marks a departure from previous times when worship was carried out at local shrines (cf. Gen 8:20; 12:7; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 35:1, 3, 7; Exod 17:15). Apart from the corporate worship of the whole theocratic community, however, worship at local altars would still be permitted as in the past (Deut 16:21; Judg 6:24-27; 13:19-20; 1 Sam 7:17; 10:5, 13; 2 Sam 24:18-25; 1 Kgs 18:30).
  24. Deuteronomy 12:15 tn Heb “only in all the desire of your soul you may sacrifice and eat flesh according to the blessing of the Lord your God which he has given to you.”
  25. Deuteronomy 12:15 tn Heb “gates” (so KJV, NASB; likewise in vv. 17, 18).
  26. Deuteronomy 12:18 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  27. Deuteronomy 12:18 tn See note at Deut 12:12.
  28. Deuteronomy 12:18 tn Heb “in all the sending forth of your hands.”
  29. Deuteronomy 12:20 tn Heb “for my soul desires to eat meat.”
  30. Deuteronomy 12:20 tn Heb “according to all the desire of your soul you may eat meat.”
  31. Deuteronomy 12:21 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  32. Deuteronomy 12:21 tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  33. Deuteronomy 12:21 tn Heb “gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “in your own community.”
  34. Deuteronomy 12:23 sn The blood is life itself. This is a figure of speech (metonymy) in which the cause or means (the blood) stands for the result or effect (life). That is, life depends upon the existence and circulation of blood, a truth known empirically but not scientifically tested and proved until the 17th century a.d. (cf. Lev 17:11).
  35. Deuteronomy 12:25 tc Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.” The LXX adds “your God” to create the common formula, “the Lord your God.” The MT is preferred precisely because it does not include the stereotyped formula; thus it more likely preserves the original text.
  36. Deuteronomy 12:26 tc Again, to complete a commonly attested wording the LXX adds after “choose” the phrase “to place his name there.” This shows insensitivity to deliberate departures from literary stereotypes. The MT reading is to be preferred.
  37. Deuteronomy 12:27 sn These other sacrifices would be so-called peace or fellowship offerings whose ritual required a different use of the blood from that of burnt (sin and trespass) offerings (cf. Lev 3; 7:11-14, 19-21).
  38. Deuteronomy 12:27 tn Heb “on the altar of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  39. Deuteronomy 12:29 tn Heb “dwell in their land” (so NASB). In the Hebrew text vv. 29-30 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides it into two.
  40. Deuteronomy 12:31 tn Heb “you must not do thus to/for the Lord your God.”
  41. Deuteronomy 12:31 tn See note on this term at Deut 7:25.
  42. Deuteronomy 12:31 tn Heb “every abomination of the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 27.
  43. Deuteronomy 12:32 sn Beginning with 12:32, the verse numbers through 13:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 12:32 ET = 13:1 HT, 13:1 ET = 13:2 HT, 13:2 ET = 13:3 HT, etc., through 13:18 ET = 13:19 HT. With 14:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
  44. Deuteronomy 12:32 tn This verse highlights a phenomenon found throughout Deuteronomy, but most especially in chap. 12, namely, the alternation of grammatical singular and plural forms of the pronoun (known as Numeruswechsel in German scholarship). Critical scholarship in general resolves the “problem” by suggesting varying literary traditions—one favorable to the singular pronoun and the other to the plural—which appear in the (obviously rough) redacted text at hand. Even the ancient versions were troubled by the lack of harmony of grammatical number and in this verse, for example, offered a number of alternate readings. The MT reads “Everything I am commanding you (plural) you (plural) must be careful to do; you (singular) must not add to it nor should you (singular) subtract form it.” Smr, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate suggest singular for the first two pronouns but a few Smr mss propose plural for the last two. What both ancient and modern scholars tend to overlook, however, is the covenantal theological tone of the Book of Deuteronomy, one that views Israel as a collective body (singular) made up of many individuals (plural). See M. Weinfeld, Deuteronomy 1-11 (AB), 15-16; J. A. Thompson, Deuteronomy (TOTC), 21-23.
  45. Deuteronomy 12:32 sn Do not add to it or subtract from it. This prohibition makes at least two profound theological points: (1) This work by Moses is of divine origination (i.e., it is inspired) and therefore can tolerate no human alteration; and (2) the work is complete as it stands (i.e., it is canonical).
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Deuteronomy 12
New International Version

The One Place of Worship

12 These are the decrees(A) and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land.(B) 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains,(C) on the hills and under every spreading tree,(D) where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash(E) their sacred stones and burn(F) their Asherah(G) poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names(H) from those places.

4 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.(I) 5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name(J) there for his dwelling.(K) To that place you must go; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes(L) and special gifts, what you have vowed(M) to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.(N) 7 There, in the presence(O) of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice(P) in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,(Q) 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place(R) and the inheritance(S) the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving(T) you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest(U) from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name(V)—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.(W) 12 And there rejoice(X) before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites(Y) from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance(Z) of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.(AA) 14 Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose(AB) in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer,(AC) according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. 16 But you must not eat the blood;(AD) pour(AE) it out on the ground like water.(AF) 17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe(AG) of your grain and new wine and olive oil,(AH) or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give,(AI) or your freewill offerings or special gifts.(AJ) 18 Instead, you are to eat(AK) them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose(AL)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice(AM) before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. 19 Be careful not to neglect the Levites(AN) as long as you live in your land.(AO)

20 When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory(AP) as he promised(AQ) you, and you crave meat(AR) and say, “I would like some meat,” then you may eat as much of it as you want. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name(AS) is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want.(AT) 22 Eat them as you would gazelle or deer.(AU) Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. 23 But be sure you do not eat the blood,(AV) because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.(AW) 24 You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.(AX) 25 Do not eat it, so that it may go well(AY) with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right(AZ) in the eyes of the Lord.

26 But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give,(BA) and go to the place the Lord will choose. 27 Present your burnt offerings(BB) on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat(BC) the meat. 28 Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well(BD) 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.

29 The Lord your God will cut off(BE) before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land,(BF) 30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared(BG) by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”(BH) 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.(BI) They even burn their sons(BJ) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.(BK)

32 See that you do all I command you; do not add(BL) to it or take away from it.[a]

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:32 In Hebrew texts this verse (12:32) is numbered 13:1.
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