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)

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The Chosen Place of Worship

12 “Be careful to follow these statutes and ordinances in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors,(A) has given you to possess all the days you live on the earth. Destroy completely all the places where the nations that you are driving out worship their gods(B)—on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.(C) Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn their Asherah poles, cut down the carved images of their gods, and wipe out their names from every[a] place.(D) Don’t worship the Lord your God this way.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:3 Lit that