Deuteronomy 12
American Standard Version
12 These are the statutes and the ordinances which ye shall observe to do in the land which Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath given thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. 2 Ye shall surely destroy all the places wherein the nations that ye shall dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: 3 and ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their [a]pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and ye shall destroy their name out of that place. 4 Ye shall not do so unto Jehovah your God. 5 But unto the place which Jehovah 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; 6 and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock: 7 and there ye shall eat before Jehovah your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee. 8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes; 9 for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee. 10 But when ye go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God causeth you to inherit, and he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; 11 then it shall come to pass that to the place which Jehovah 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 Jehovah. 12 And ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no portion 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 Jehovah 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 within all thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul, according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart. 16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water. 17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or of thy new wine, or of thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering of thy hand; 18 but thou shalt eat them before Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God in all that thou puttest thy hand unto. 19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest in thy land.
20 When Jehovah thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul desireth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul. 21 If the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which Jehovah hath given thee, as I have commanded thee; and thou mayest eat within thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul. 22 Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat thereof: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof alike. 23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh. 24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out 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 eyes of Jehovah. 26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which Jehovah shall choose; 27 and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of Jehovah thy God; and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of Jehovah 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 eyes of Jehovah thy God.
29 When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest in to dispossess them, and thou dispossessest them, and dwellest in their land; 30 take heed to thyself that thou be not ensnared [b]to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? [c]even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto Jehovah thy God: for every abomination to Jehovah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.
32 What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 12:3 Or, obelisks
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Hebrew after them.
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Or, that I also may do likewise
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
- Deuteronomy 12:1 Literally “that you must observe to do”
- Deuteronomy 12:1 Or “fathers”
- Deuteronomy 12:2 Or “spreading tree”
- Deuteronomy 12:5 Literally “But if”
- Deuteronomy 12:6 Literally “the contributions of your hand”
- Deuteronomy 12:7 Literally “before the faces of”
- Deuteronomy 12:7 Literally “in all of the sending of your hand”
- Deuteronomy 12:8 Literally “the day”
- Deuteronomy 12:8 Literally “each man all of the right in his eyes”
- Deuteronomy 12:11 Literally “and it will happen”
- Deuteronomy 12:11 Literally “the contribution of your hand”
- Deuteronomy 12:12 Literally “the face of”
- Deuteronomy 12:12 Literally “gates”
- Deuteronomy 12:14 Literally “but only if”
- Deuteronomy 12:15 Literally “in all the wanting of your soul/inner self”
- Deuteronomy 12:15 Literally “gates”
- Deuteronomy 12:17 Literally “gates”
- Deuteronomy 12:17 Literally “the contribution of your hand”
- Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “before the face of”
- Deuteronomy 12:18 Hebrew “choose it”
- Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “gate”
- Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “before the face of”
- Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “in all of the sending of your hand”
- Deuteronomy 12:19 Literally “Watch for yourself”
- Deuteronomy 12:20 Literally “spoken”
- Deuteronomy 12:20 Literally “because your soul/inner self desires it”
- Deuteronomy 12:20 Literally “at/in all the wanting of your soul/inner self”
- Deuteronomy 12:21 Or “where”
- Deuteronomy 12:21 Literally “gates”
- Deuteronomy 12:25 Literally “it/he is good”
- Deuteronomy 12:25 Hebrew “the”
- Deuteronomy 12:26 Literally “that are for you”
- Deuteronomy 12:28 Literally “Watch carefully and listen”
- Deuteronomy 12:28 Literally “he/it is good”
- Deuteronomy 12:28 Literally “until ever”
- Deuteronomy 12:28 Hebrew “the”
- Deuteronomy 12:28 Hebrew “the right”
- Deuteronomy 12:29 Literally “about to go to there”
- Deuteronomy 12:29 Literally “from the face of you”
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “Watch for yourself”
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “after them”
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “from the face of you”
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Literally “to say”
- Deuteronomy 12:30 Emphatic use of the pronoun
- Deuteronomy 12:32 Deuteronomy 12:32–13:18 in the English Bible is 13:1–19 in the Hebrew Bible
- Deuteronomy 12:32 Hebrew “thing”
- Deuteronomy 12:32 Literally “you must observe to do it”
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