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The Proper Place to Worship

12 Here are the laws and rules you must faithfully obey in the land that Yahweh Elohim of your ancestors is giving you as your own. You must obey them as long as you live in the land.

Completely destroy all the worship sites on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every large tree. The people you’re forcing out worship their gods in these places. Tear down their altars, crush their sacred stones, burn their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, cut down their idols, and wipe out the names of their gods from those places.

Never worship Yahweh your Elohim in the way they worship their gods. Yahweh your Elohim will choose a place out of all your tribes to live and put his name. Go there and worship him. Bring him your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, one-tenth of your income, your contributions, the offerings you vow to bring, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats. There, in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim, you and your families will eat and enjoy everything you’ve worked for, because Yahweh your Elohim has blessed you.

Never worship in the way that it’s being done here today, where everyone does whatever he considers right. Up until now you haven’t come to your place of rest, the property Yahweh your Elohim is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan River and settle in the land Yahweh your Elohim is giving you as your own property. He will give you peace from all your enemies around you so that you will live securely. 11 Then Yahweh your Elohim will choose a place where his name will live. You must bring everything I command you to that place. Bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, one-tenth of your income, your contributions, and all the best offerings you vow to bring to Yahweh. 12 Enjoy yourselves in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levites. (The Levites live in your cities because they have no land of their own as you have.) 13 Be careful that you don’t sacrifice your burnt offerings wherever you want. 14 Instead, sacrifice them only at the place that Yahweh will choose in one of your tribes. There you must do everything I command you.

15 In whatever city you live, you may slaughter and eat as much meat as you want from what Yahweh your Elohim has blessed you with. Clean and unclean[a] people may eat it as if they were eating a gazelle or a deer. 16 But never eat the blood. Pour it on the ground like water. 17 You may not eat the Lord’s offerings in your cities. Those offerings are: one-tenth of your grain, new wine, and olive oil; the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, or goats; the offerings you vow to bring; your freewill offerings; and your contributions. 18 Instead, you, your sons and daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levites who live in your cities must eat these in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim at the place Yahweh your Elohim will choose. There in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim enjoy everything you’ve worked for. 19 Don’t forget to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land.

20 Yahweh your Elohim will expand your country’s borders as he promised. You will say, “I’m hungry for meat.” Then eat as much meat as you want. 21 If the place Yahweh your Elohim chooses to put his name is too far away from you, you may slaughter an animal from the herds or flocks that Yahweh has given you. Eat as much as you want in your city. I have commanded you to do this. 22 Eat it as you would eat a gazelle or a deer: Clean and unclean people may eat it together. 23 However, be sure you never eat blood, because blood contains life. Never eat the life with the meat. 24 Never eat blood. Pour it on the ground like water. 25 If you don’t eat blood, things will go well for you and your descendants. You will be doing what Yahweh considers right.

26 Take the holy things and the offerings you have vowed to bring, and go to the place Yahweh will choose. 27 Sacrifice the meat and the blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of Yahweh your Elohim. The blood of your sacrifices is to be poured out beside the altar of Yahweh your Elohim, but you may eat the meat. 28 Be sure you obey all these instructions I’m giving you. Then things will always go well for you and your descendants because you will be doing what Yahweh your Elohim considers good and right.

29 Yahweh your Elohim will destroy the nations where you’re going and force them out of your way. You will take possession of their land and live there. 30 After they’ve been destroyed, be careful you aren’t tempted to follow their customs. Don’t even ask about their gods and say, “How did these people worship their gods? We want to do what they did.” 31 Never worship Yahweh your Elohim in the way they worship their gods, because everything they do for their gods is disgusting to Yahweh. He hates it! They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.[b]

32 Be sure to do everything I command you. Never add anything to it or take anything away from it.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:15 “Clean” refers to anything that is presentable to God. “Unclean” refers to anything that is not presentable to God.
  2. Deuteronomy 12:31 Deuteronomy 12:32 in English Bibles is Deuteronomy 13:1 in the Hebrew Bible.

12 Voici les lois et les ordonnances que vous observerez et que vous mettrez en pratique, aussi longtemps que vous y vivrez, dans le pays dont l'Éternel, le Dieu de vos pères, vous donne la possession.

Vous détruirez tous les lieux où les nations que vous allez chasser servent leurs dieux, sur les hautes montagnes, sur les collines, et sous tout arbre vert.

Vous renverserez leurs autels, vous briserez leurs statues, vous brûlerez au feu leurs idoles, vous abattrez les images taillées de leurs dieux, et vous ferez disparaître leurs noms de ces lieux-là.

Vous n'agirez pas ainsi à l'égard de l'Éternel, votre Dieu.

Mais vous le chercherez à sa demeure, et vous irez au lieu que l'Éternel, votre Dieu, choisira parmi toutes vos tribus pour y placer son nom.

C'est là que vous présenterez vos holocaustes, vos sacrifices, vos dîmes, vos prémices, vos offrandes en accomplissement d'un voeu, vos offrandes volontaires, et les premiers-nés de votre gros et de votre menu bétail.

C'est là que vous mangerez devant l'Éternel, votre Dieu, et que, vous et vos familles, vous ferez servir à votre joie tous les biens par lesquels l'Éternel, votre Dieu, vous aura bénis.

Vous n'agirez donc pas comme nous le faisons maintenant ici, où chacun fait ce qui lui semble bon,

parce que vous n'êtes point encore arrivés dans le lieu de repos et dans l'héritage que l'Éternel, votre Dieu, vous donne.

10 Mais vous passerez le Jourdain, et vous habiterez dans le pays dont l'Éternel, votre Dieu, vous mettra en possession; il vous donnera du repos, après vous avoir délivrés de tous vos ennemis qui vous entourent, et vous vous établirez en sécurité.

11 Alors il y aura un lieu que l'Éternel, votre Dieu, choisira pour y faire résider son nom. C'est là que vous présenterez tout ce que je vous ordonne, vos holocaustes, vos sacrifices, vos dîmes, vos prémices, et les offrandes choisies que vous ferez à l'Éternel pour accomplir vos voeux.

12 C'est là que vous vous réjouirez devant l'Éternel, votre Dieu, vous, vos fils et vos filles, vos serviteurs et vos servantes, et le Lévite qui sera dans vos portes; car il n'a ni part ni héritage avec vous.

13 Garde-toi d'offrir tes holocaustes dans tous les lieux que tu verras;

14 mais tu offriras tes holocaustes au lieu que l'Éternel choisira dans l'une de tes tribus, et c'est là que tu feras tout ce que je t'ordonne.

15 Néanmoins, quand tu en auras le désir, tu pourras tuer du bétail et manger de la viande dans toutes tes portes, selon les bénédictions que t'accordera l'Éternel, ton Dieu; celui qui sera impur et celui qui sera pur pourront en manger, comme on mange de la gazelle et du cerf.

16 Seulement, vous ne mangerez pas le sang: tu le répandras sur la terre comme de l'eau.

17 Tu ne pourras pas manger dans tes portes la dîme de ton blé, de ton moût et de ton huile, ni les premiers-nés de ton gros et de ton menu bétail, ni aucune de tes offrandes en accomplissement d'un voeu, ni tes offrandes volontaires, ni tes prémices.

18 Mais c'est devant l'Éternel, ton Dieu, que tu les mangeras, dans le lieu que l'Éternel, ton Dieu, choisira, toi, ton fils et ta fille, ton serviteur et ta servante, et le Lévite qui sera dans tes portes; et c'est devant l'Éternel, ton Dieu, que tu feras servir à ta joie tous les biens que tu posséderas.

19 Aussi longtemps que tu vivras dans ton pays, garde-toi de délaisser le Lévite.

20 Lorsque l'Éternel, ton Dieu, aura élargi tes frontières, comme il te l'a promis, et que le désir de manger de la viande te fera dire: Je voudrais manger de la viande! tu pourras en manger, selon ton désir.

21 Si le lieu que l'Éternel, ton Dieu, aura choisi pour y placer son nom est éloigné de toi, tu pourras tuer du gros et du menu bétail, comme je te l'ai prescrit, et tu pourras en manger dans tes portes selon ton désir.

22 Tu en mangeras comme on mange de la gazelle et du cerf; celui qui sera impur, et celui qui sera pur en mangeront l'un et l'autre.

23 Seulement, garde-toi de manger le sang, car le sang, c'est l'âme; et tu ne mangeras pas l'âme avec la chair.

24 Tu ne le mangeras pas: tu le répandras sur la terre comme de l'eau.

25 Tu ne le mangeras pas, afin que tu sois heureux, toi et tes enfants après toi, en faisant ce qui est droit aux yeux de l'Éternel.

26 Mais les choses que tu voudras consacrer et les offrandes que tu feras en accomplissement d'un voeu, tu iras les présenter au lieu qu'aura choisi l'Éternel.

27 Tu offriras tes holocaustes, la chair et le sang, sur l'autel de l'Éternel, ton Dieu; dans tes autres sacrifices, le sang sera répandu sur l'autel de l'Éternel, ton Dieu, et tu mangeras la chair.

28 Garde et écoute toutes ces choses que je t'ordonne, afin que tu sois heureux, toi et tes enfants après toi, à perpétuité, en faisant ce qui est bien et ce qui est droit aux yeux de l'Éternel, ton Dieu.

29 Lorsque l'Éternel, ton Dieu, aura exterminé les nations que tu vas chasser devant toi, lorsque tu les auras chassées et que tu te seras établi dans leur pays,

30 garde-toi de te laisser prendre au piège en les imitant, après qu'elles auront été détruites devant toi. Garde-toi de t'informer de leurs dieux et de dire: Comment ces nations servaient-elles leurs dieux? Moi aussi, je veux faire de même.

31 Tu n'agiras pas ainsi à l'égard de l'Éternel, ton Dieu; car elles servaient leurs dieux en faisant toutes les abominations qui sont odieuses à l'Éternel, et même elles brûlaient au feu leurs fils et leurs filles en l'honneur de leurs dieux.

32 Vous observerez et vous mettrez en pratique toutes les choses que je vous ordonne; vous n'y ajouterez rien, et vous n'en retrancherez rien.

One special place to worship the Lord

12 These are the laws and the rules that you must obey. Be careful to obey them when you live in the land that the Lord your God has given to you. He is the God that your ancestors worshipped. Obey these laws all the time that you live in that land.

You will chase out the nations who live there. Then you must destroy completely all the places where those people worship their gods. Those places are on the tops of mountains and hills, and under big green trees. You must break into pieces their altars and stone pillars. Burn their Asherah poles. Knock down the images of their gods. Destroy those places so that nobody remembers the false gods.

Do not worship the Lord your God in the same way that those people worship their gods. The Lord will choose one place from the land where all your tribes live. That is the place where people must go to worship him. That is his special home. That is where you must take your burnt offerings and other sacrifices to offer to the Lord. Take your tithes and offerings to him there. Take the gifts that you have promised to give, and the gifts that you choose to give. Take the firstborn animals from your cows, sheep and goats. You and your families will go there to meet with the Lord your God. You will be happy as you eat together there. You will enjoy the results of all your work, because the Lord has blessed you.

At this time, all of you now do what you think is right. But when you are in the land, you must worship God in a different way. You have not yet reached the place where you can rest. That is in the land that the Lord your God is giving to you as your home. 10 But when you go across the Jordan River, that land will become your home. The Lord will protect you from all the enemies who are around you. You will live safely. 11 At that time, the Lord your God will choose one special place for his people to worship him. You must take there everything that I have told you. Take your burnt offerings and other sacrifices to offer to the Lord. Take your tithes and special offerings. Take the special gifts that you have promised to give to him. Take everything to the place that God will choose. 12 Go there to enjoy time with the Lord your God. Take with you your children and your servants. Also take with you the Levites who live in your towns. Remember that they have not received any land for themselves, as you have.

13 So be careful! Do not offer your burnt offerings in any place that you choose for yourself. 14 Only make offerings to the Lord in the place that he chooses. That will be in the land that belongs to one of your tribes. It is the place where you must do all the things that I am commanding you to do.

15 But you may kill your animals and eat the meat in any of the towns where you live. When the Lord your God blesses you and he gives you animals, you may eat them as often as you want. It is the same as if you are eating meat from deer. Anyone may eat it. That includes people who are clean and people who are unclean. 16 But you must not eat the blood of any animal. You must pour it on the ground like water. 17 Do not eat any of your offerings to the Lord in the places where you live. Do not eat the tithes that you have taken from your grain, your new wine or your olive oil. Do not eat at home the firstborn animals from your cows, sheep or goats. Do not eat the gifts that you have promised, the gifts that you choose to give or any other special gifts. 18 You may only eat these offerings in the place that the Lord will choose as his special home. That is true for you, your children, your servants and the Levites who live in your towns. At that place, you should meet with the Lord your God and you should enjoy the results of all your work. 19 As long as you live in the land, be careful to take care of the Levites.[a]

20 The Lord your God has promised to give you more and more land. When he does that, perhaps you will say, ‘I would like to eat some meat.’ Then you may eat as much meat as you like. 21 The place that God chooses as his special home may be far away from you. If it is, you may kill any of the animals that the Lord has given to you. You may eat the meat at your own town, in the way that I have told you. 22 You should eat them in the same way that you eat deer. People who are unclean may eat them, as well as people who are clean. 23 But never eat the blood. The blood of an animal gives it life. You must not eat the life together with the meat! 24 You must not eat the blood. You must pour it on the ground like water. 25 Do not eat it! Then you will be doing what the Lord says is right. You will enjoy a happy life and so will your children.

26 It is only the holy things that you must take to the place that the Lord will choose for himself. Those are the gifts and sacrifices that you are offering to him. 27 Offer the meat and the blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. For the other sacrifices, you must pour out the blood beside the altar. But you may eat the meat. 28 Be careful to obey all these commands that I am giving to you. Then you will be doing things that the Lord your God says are good and right. You and your children will enjoy a happy life.

29 When you go into the land where the other nations live, the Lord your God will remove them. You will take their land and you will live on it. 30 But after the Lord has destroyed them, be careful! Do not do the same wrong things as they do. Do not try to worship their gods. Do not say, ‘How do the people of these nations worship their gods? I would like to do the same thing!’

31 No! You must not worship the Lord your God in the same way that those people worship their gods. When they worship, they do wicked things that the Lord hates. They even burn their children with fire, to make sacrifices to their gods.

32 Be careful to do everything that I am telling you. Do not add anything to these commands. Do not remove anything from them.

Footnotes

  1. 12:19 The Levites were the special servants of God. They did not have their own land. So the Israelites must give them some of the food that they offered to God. The Israelites must always remember to do this.

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) 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. 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.

You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.(I) 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; 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) 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.

You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,(Q) 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.