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Instructions Pertaining to Food

15 “You may slaughter and eat as much meat as you desire,[a] according to the blessing of the Lord your God, when he provides for you in all your cities.[b] Both ritually unqualified and qualified people[c] may eat it as they would gazelle and deer. 16 However, you are not to consume the blood;[d] instead, you are to pour it out on the ground as you would water.

17 “You won’t be allowed to eat your tithe of grain, new wine, or oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, your voluntary offerings that you pledged, your free-will offerings, or the works of your hands in your own cities. 18 You’ll eat only in the presence of the Lord your God at the place that he[e] will choose—you, your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the descendant of Levi who is in your cities.[f] Rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God in everything you undertake.[g] 19 Be careful not to forget the descendant of Levi while you live[h] in the land.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:15 Lit. with all the desire of your soul
  2. Deuteronomy 12:15 Lit. gates
  3. Deuteronomy 12:15 Lit. unclean and clean; and so throughout the book
  4. Deuteronomy 12:16 Cf. Acts 15:20, 29
  5. Deuteronomy 12:18 Lit. that the Lord your God
  6. Deuteronomy 12:18 Lit. gates
  7. Deuteronomy 12:18 Lit. in every work of your hand
  8. Deuteronomy 12:19 Lit. all your days in the land

15 “But whenever you desire[a] 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;[b] 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[c] 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.[d] 18 But only before[e] Yahweh your God you shall eat it, at the place that Yahweh your God will choose,[f] you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite who is in your towns,[g] and you must rejoice before[h] your God in all your undertakings.[i] 19 Take care[j] so that you do not neglect the Levite all of your days on your land.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:15 Literally “in all the wanting of your soul/inner self”
  2. Deuteronomy 12:15 Literally “gates”
  3. Deuteronomy 12:17 Literally “gates”
  4. Deuteronomy 12:17 Literally “the contribution of your hand”
  5. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “before the face of”
  6. Deuteronomy 12:18 Hebrew “choose it”
  7. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “gate”
  8. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “before the face of”
  9. Deuteronomy 12:18 Literally “in all of the sending of your hand”
  10. Deuteronomy 12:19 Literally “Watch for yourself”