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Deuteronomy 12
New Catholic Bible
Deuteronomy 12
New Catholic Bible
The Deuteronomic Code[a]
Chapter 12
One Place of Worship.[b] 1 These are the statutes and the decrees that you must be careful to observe in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you as an inheritance for the whole time that you live upon the earth. 2 You must totally destroy all the places where the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, whether they be on the high mountains or upon the hills or under every green tree. 3 You are to overturn their altars and break their sacred pillars. You must burn their wooden idols in fires, you must cut down their carved idols and obliterate their names from that place. 4 This is not the way that you are to worship the Lord, your God.
5 You are to seek out the place that the Lord, your God, has chosen from among all the tribes to be where you shall place his name and establish his dwelling. This is where you are to go 6 to bring your burnt offering, your sacrifices, your tithes, your wave offerings, what you have vowed to give as a freewill offering, and the firstborn from your herds and flocks. 7 There you and your families will eat before the Lord, your God, and you shall rejoice at everything you have put your hand to, for the Lord, your God, will have blessed you. 8 You are not to do things the way we do them today, that each person does as he sees fit, 9 for you have not yet come to your resting place, the inheritance that the Lord, your God, is giving you. 10 But when you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord, your God, is giving to you as an inheritance, a place where he will give you peace from all the enemies who surround you so that you can live in safety, 11 then you shall bring everything that I command you to the place that the Lord, your God, will have chosen for the dwelling place of his name: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your wave offerings, and all of your choice vow offerings that you have vowed onto the Lord. 12 You and your sons and daughters, your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite who lives in your town (for he has no claim to your inheritance) will rejoice before the Lord, your God.
13 Make sure that you do not offer burnt offerings any place you might happen to see, 14 but you are to offer burnt offerings in the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes. There you are to fulfill all that I command you to do.
15 Permissible Slaughter. Nevertheless, you can slaughter animals and eat meat within your town gates with the blessing that the Lord, your God, gives you, as much as you desire. The clean and the unclean may eat of it, the gazelle and the roebuck alike. 16 Only you are not to consume its blood; you are to pour it on the ground as if it were water.[c]
17 You are not to eat the following things within your town gates: the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil, the firstborn of the herds or flocks, any of the vow offerings you have offered with a vow, any freewill offering and any wave offering. 18 You are to eat these before the Lord, your God, in the place that the Lord, your God, will have chosen, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite who lives in your town. You are to rejoice before the Lord, your God, in all of your undertakings.
19 Take heed not to forsake the Levite for as long as you live in the land. 20 When the Lord, your God, enlarges your boundaries, as he has promised that he will do, and you say to yourself, “I am going to eat some meat,”[d] because you feel like eating some meat, you can eat as much meat as you desire.
21 If the place that the Lord, your God, will have chosen to put his name is too far from where you are living, you can kill any animal from the herd or the flock that the Lord has given you, just as I have instructed you. You can eat as much as you want of it within your town gates. 22 You can eat them like you would eat the gazelle or the roebuck. Both the unclean and the clean can eat of it. 23 Only be careful that you do not consume the blood, for the blood is its life. You are not to eat the life with the meat. 24 You are not to consume the blood; you are to pour it on the ground as if it were water. 25 You are not to eat it, so that things may turn out well for you and your children after you, for you will be doing the right thing from the Lord’s point of view.
26 Take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give, and go to the place that the Lord has chosen. 27 Present your burnt offerings, both the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord, your God. You are to pour the blood out on the altar of the Lord, your God, but you can eat the meat. 28 Take heed to observe all of the things that I have commanded you, that things may go well with you and your children forever, when you do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, your God. 29 The Lord, your God, will cut down the nations of the place where you are going before you so that you can dispossess them. When you take their place and settle in their land 30 and they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by asking questions about their gods such as, “How did these nations serve their gods? We should do the same thing as they did.” 31 You shall not do these things to the Lord, your God. They have worshiped their gods with every kind of abomination that the Lord hates. They have even offered their sons and daughters as burnt sacrifices to their gods.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 12:1 By means of its liturgy the people of God seek to establish a lifegiving relationship with God. Deuteronomy does not mean to suppress all other liturgical activity; the point is that worship must express the faith of the entire people. It is enough that any deviations be avoided and that every trace of pagan practices be rejected.
- Deuteronomy 12:1 In the sanctuaries that had been built in various parts of the country the ceremonies were often contaminated by the Canaanite religion. To get rid of these pagan deviations and to strengthen the religious and political unity of the people, Deuteronomy requires the suppression of these sanctuaries, some of which had played an important role in Israel’s past, even though they had originally been pagan. This centralization of worship in the place determined by God, namely, the Jerusalem temple, goes back probably to the time of the great reform of King Josiah at the end of the seventh century (2 Ki 22–23), but it is here attributed to Moses, who had inspired Israel’s life of worship. As a result of this centralization, certain everyday actions such as the slaughtering of animals, which had hitherto been done at the sanctuaries, would be done by each individual at home and would therefore no longer have a sacral character (Deut 12:15).
- Deuteronomy 12:16 Blood is life and belongs to God (see v. 23; Gen 9:4).
- Deuteronomy 12:20 Eat some meat: this indicates the freedom to choose to eat meat when the people entered Canaan instead of only the manna they were forced to eat in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 12
New International Version
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
- Deuteronomy 12:32 In Hebrew texts this verse (12:32) is numbered 13:1.
Deuteronomy 12
English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 12
English Standard Version
The Lord's Chosen Place of Worship
12 (A)“These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, (B)all the days that you live on the earth. 2 (C)You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, (D)on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces (E)their pillars and burn their (F)Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and (G)destroy their name out of that place. 4 (H)You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. 5 But you shall seek (I)the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation[a] there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, (J)your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the (K)firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And (L)there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and (M)you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, (N)everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to (O)the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when (P)you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, (Q)and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to (R)the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, (S)your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. 12 And (T)you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since (U)he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13 (V)Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, 14 but at (W)the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, (X)according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. (Y)The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. 16 (Z)Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your towns (AA)the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, 18 but (AB)you shall eat them before the Lord your God in (AC)the place that the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And (AD)you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. 19 (AE)Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.
20 “When the Lord your God (AF)enlarges your territory, (AG)as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire. 21 If (AH)the place that the Lord your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, (AI)then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire. 22 Just (AJ)as the gazelle or the deer is eaten, so you may eat of it. (AK)The unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. 23 (AL)Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, (AM)for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, (AN)that all may go well with you and with your children after you, (AO)when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 But the (AP)holy things that are due from you, and (AQ)your vow offerings, you shall take, and you shall go to (AR)the place that the Lord will choose, 27 and (AS)offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat. 28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, (AT)that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Warning Against Idolatry
29 “When (AU)the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care (AV)that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ 31 (AW)You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every (AX)abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for (AY)they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
32 [b] “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. (AZ)You shall not add to it or take from it.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 12:5 Or name as its habitation
- Deuteronomy 12:32 Ch 13:1 in Hebrew
New International Version (NIV) 
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.