20 “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory as he has promised you,(A) and you say, ‘I want to eat meat’ because you have a strong desire to eat meat, you may eat it whenever you want. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far from you, you may slaughter any of your herd or flock he has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat it within your city gates whenever you want. 22 Indeed, you may eat it as the gazelle and deer are eaten; both the clean and the unclean may eat it. 23 But don’t eat the blood, since the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.(B) 24 Do not eat blood; pour it on the ground like water.(C) 25 Do not eat it, so that you and your children after you will prosper, because you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.

26 “But you are to take the holy offerings you have and your vow offerings and go to the place the Lord chooses. 27 Present the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your other sacrifices is to be poured out beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. 28 Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that you and your children after you may prosper forever, because you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

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20 When the Lord your God enlarges your territory—just as he told you—and you say ‘I want to eat meat’ since you desire to eat it,[a] you may do so as much as you please.[b]

21 “If the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish his name is distant from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and your flock what the Lord has provided for you, as he instructed you. You may consume them in your cities[c] as much as you please. 22 You may eat them just as you would gazelle and deer. Ritually unqualified and qualified people may eat them. 23 Only be sure to refrain from eating blood, because blood is the source of[d] life and you are not to consume blood with the meat. 24 You are not to eat it; instead, you are to pour it on the ground as you would water. 25 You are not to eat it, so that life may go well for you and for your children after you. Then you’ll do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

26 “You may carry and bring only your consecrated gifts and offerings in fulfillment of promises to the place that the Lord will choose. 27 You must offer your burnt offerings—both the meat and the blood—on the altar of the Lord your God. You are to offer the blood by pouring it on the altar of the Lord your God while you consume the meat. 28 Be sure to observe all these words that I’m commanding you, in order that life may go well for you and your children after you forever, for this is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit. meat
  2. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit. may eat flesh with all the desire of your soul
  3. Deuteronomy 12:21 Lit. gates
  4. Deuteronomy 12:23 The Heb. lacks source of