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Deuteronomy 12:20-28
New English Translation

The Sanctity of Blood

20 When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,”[a] you may do so as you wish.[b] 21 If the place he[c] chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he[d] has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages[e] just as you wish. 22 As you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them. 23 However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself[f]—you must not eat the life with the meat. 24 You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water. 25 You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.[g] 26 But the holy things and votive offerings that belong to you, you must pick up and take to the place the Lord will choose.[h] 27 You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; the blood of your other sacrifices[i] you must pour out on his[j] altar while you eat the meat. 28 Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:20 tn Heb “for my soul desires to eat meat.”
  2. Deuteronomy 12:20 tn Heb “according to all the desire of your soul you may eat meat.”
  3. Deuteronomy 12:21 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  4. Deuteronomy 12:21 tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 12:5.
  5. Deuteronomy 12:21 tn Heb “gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “in your own community.”
  6. Deuteronomy 12:23 sn The blood is life itself. This is a figure of speech (metonymy) in which the cause or means (the blood) stands for the result or effect (life). That is, life depends upon the existence and circulation of blood, a truth known empirically but not scientifically tested and proved until the 17th century a.d. (cf. Lev 17:11).
  7. Deuteronomy 12:25 tc Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.” The LXX adds “your God” to create the common formula, “the Lord your God.” The MT is preferred precisely because it does not include the stereotyped formula; thus it more likely preserves the original text.
  8. Deuteronomy 12:26 tc Again, to complete a commonly attested wording the LXX adds after “choose” the phrase “to place his name there.” This shows insensitivity to deliberate departures from literary stereotypes. The MT reading is to be preferred.
  9. Deuteronomy 12:27 sn These other sacrifices would be so-called peace or fellowship offerings whose ritual required a different use of the blood from that of burnt (sin and trespass) offerings (cf. Lev 3; 7:11-14, 19-21).
  10. Deuteronomy 12:27 tn Heb “on the altar of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
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Deuteronomy 12:20-28
New American Standard Bible

20 “When the Lord your God extends your border (A)as He has [a]promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because [b]you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, [c]whatever you desire. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter animals from your herd and flock which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates [d]whatever you desire. 22 Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you may eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it. 23 Only be sure (B)not to eat the blood, for the blood is the [e]life, and you shall not eat the [f]life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. 25 You shall not eat it, so that (C)it may go well for you and your sons after you, since (D)you will be doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 (E)Only your holy things which you may have and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. 27 And (F)you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and (G)you shall eat the flesh.

28 “Be careful and listen to all these words which I am commanding you, so that (H)it may go well for you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit spoken to
  2. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit your soul desires
  3. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit in every desire of your soul
  4. Deuteronomy 12:21 Lit in every desire of your soul
  5. Deuteronomy 12:23 Lit soul
  6. Deuteronomy 12:23 Lit soul
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