合宜的敬拜

12 「只要你們生活在你們祖先的上帝耶和華賜給你們的土地上,就要謹遵以下律例和典章。

「你們趕走那裡的列邦後,要徹底摧毀他們在高山上、丘陵上、綠樹下供奉其神明的地方。 你們要拆毀他們的祭壇,打碎他們的神柱,焚燒他們的亞舍拉神像,砍倒他們的偶像,使它們的名字從那裡消失。 你們不可按照他們的方式敬拜你們的上帝耶和華。 你們的上帝耶和華要在你們眾支派中選一個地方作祂的居所,你們要去那裡敬拜祂, 把你們的燔祭及其他祭物、十一奉獻、舉祭、還願祭、自願獻的祭和頭生的牛羊帶到那裡。 你們和家人要在那裡,在你們的上帝耶和華面前吃喝;要為你們所做的一切蒙祂賜福而歡喜快樂。

「你們不可再像今日這樣各行其是, 因為到如今你們還沒有進入你們的上帝耶和華賜給你們作產業的安歇之地。 10 但不久你們將渡過約旦河,定居在那片土地上。耶和華將使你們四境太平,安然居住, 11 你們要把我吩咐你們獻的燔祭、各種牲祭、十一奉獻、舉祭和一切還願祭帶到你們的上帝耶和華選定的敬拜場所。 12 在那裡,你們和兒女、僕婢及同城中沒有分到土地作產業的利未人,要一起在你們的上帝耶和華面前歡喜快樂。 13 你們不可隨處向耶和華獻燔祭。 14 耶和華會在你們的一個支派中選定敬拜的場所,你們只可以在那裡獻燔祭,做我吩咐你們的一切事。

15 「你們可以隨時在居住的各城宰殺牲畜吃,享受你們的上帝耶和華所賜的福,像吃羚羊和鹿一樣。潔淨的人和不潔淨的人都可以吃。 16 但你們不可吃血。要把血倒在地上,像倒水一樣。 17 不可在你們的城裡吃十一奉獻的穀物、新酒和油、頭生的牛羊、還願祭、自願獻的祭和舉祭; 18 要在你們的上帝耶和華選定的地方,與兒女、僕婢及同城的利未人一起在耶和華面前吃。要為你們所做的一切,在你們的上帝耶和華面前歡喜快樂。 19 切記,只要你們還住在自己的土地上,就不可忘記利未人。

20 「你們的上帝耶和華按照祂的應許擴展你們的疆域後,你們若想吃肉,隨時都可以吃。 21 如果你們的上帝耶和華選定的敬拜場所離你們太遠,你們可以在自己的城裡,按照我的吩咐,隨時宰殺耶和華賜給你們的牛羊吃, 22 就像你們吃羚羊和鹿一樣。潔淨的人和不潔淨的人都可以吃。 23 但你們不可吃血,因為血就是生命;你們不可把生命和肉一起吃, 24 要把血倒在地上,像倒水一樣。 25 你們要做耶和華視為正的事——不可吃血,以便你們及子孫凡事順利。 26 你們要把聖物和還願祭帶到耶和華選定的地方。 27 你們要在你們的上帝耶和華的祭壇上獻燔祭,連肉帶血都要獻上。要把其他祭牲的血倒在壇上,但可以吃祭肉。 28 你們要認真聽從我給你們的這些吩咐,做你們的上帝耶和華視為正與善的事,以便你們及子孫凡事順利,直到永遠。

29 「你們的上帝耶和華將為你們剷除列國。你們要趕走他們,住在他們的土地上。 30 那時,你們要謹慎,不可受誘惑去效法他們的習俗,不可打聽他們神明的事,說,『這些民族怎樣供奉他們的神明呢?我也要效法。』 31 你們不可按照他們的方式敬拜你們的上帝耶和華。他們祭拜自己神明的種種行為令耶和華憎惡,他們甚至焚燒自己的兒女獻給他們的神明。

32 「你們要謹遵我的一切吩咐,不可增添,也不可刪減。

12 These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.

But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.

Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.

10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

11 Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord:

12 And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

14 But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:

18 But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

20 When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

21 If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.

23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.

25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose:

27 And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the Lord thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God.

29 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;

30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

A Prescribed Place of Worship

12 “These (A)are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, (B)all[a] the days that you live on the earth. (C)You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, (D)on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And (E)you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their [b]wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not (F)worship the Lord your God with such things.

“But you shall seek the (G)place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His (H)dwelling[c] place; and there you shall go. (I)There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the (J)firstborn of your herds and flocks. And (K)there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and (L)you shall rejoice in [d]all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—(M)every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes— for as yet you have not come to the (N)rest[e] and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you (O)rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, 11 then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord. 12 And (P)you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the (Q)Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 13 Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

15 “However, (R)you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; (S)the unclean and the clean may eat of it, (T)of the gazelle and the deer alike. 16 (U)Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the [f]heave offering of your hand. 18 But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in [g]all to which you put your hands. 19 [h]Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 “When the Lord your God (V)enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from (W)you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, (X)for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, (Y)that it may go well with you and your children after you, (Z)when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 Only the (AA)holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. 27 And (AB)you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the meat. 28 Observe and obey all these words which I command you, (AC)that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

Beware of False Gods

29 “When (AD)the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 (AE)You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every [i]abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for (AF)they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; (AG)you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:1 As long as
  2. Deuteronomy 12:3 Heb. Asherim
  3. Deuteronomy 12:5 home
  4. Deuteronomy 12:7 all that you undertake
  5. Deuteronomy 12:9 Or place of rest
  6. Deuteronomy 12:17 contribution
  7. Deuteronomy 12:18 all your undertakings
  8. Deuteronomy 12:19 Be careful
  9. Deuteronomy 12:31 detestable action