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15 “Yet whenever you desire you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, according to the blessing that the Lord your God has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as they would of gazelle or deer.(A) 16 The blood, however, you must not eat; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.(B) 17 Nor may you eat within your towns the tithe of your grain, your wine, and your oil, the firstlings of your herds and your flocks, any of your votive gifts that you vow, your freewill offerings, or your donations; 18 these you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God at the place that the Lord your God will choose, you together with your son and your daughter, your male and female slaves, and the Levites resident in your towns, rejoicing in the presence of the Lord your God in all your undertakings.(C) 19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.(D)

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Regulations for Eating Sacrificial and Non-Sacrificial Foods

15 On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the Lord your God blesses you[a] in all your villages.[b] Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, whether it is a gazelle or an ibex. 16 However, you must not eat blood—pour it out on the ground like water. 17 You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings. 18 Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he[c] chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites[d] in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.[e] 19 Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:15 tn Heb “only in all the desire of your soul you may sacrifice and eat flesh according to the blessing of the Lord your God which he has given to you.”
  2. Deuteronomy 12:15 tn Heb “gates” (so KJV, NASB; likewise in vv. 17, 18).
  3. Deuteronomy 12:18 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  4. Deuteronomy 12:18 tn See note at Deut 12:12.
  5. Deuteronomy 12:18 tn Heb “in all the sending forth of your hands.”