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But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes as his habitation to put his name there. You shall go there,(A) bringing there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations, your votive gifts, your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks. And you shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your households together, rejoicing in all the undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.(B)

“You shall not act as we are acting here today, all of us according to our own desires, for you have not yet come into the rest and the possession that the Lord your God is giving you. 10 When you cross over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is allotting to you, and when he gives you rest from your enemies all around so that you live in safety,(C) 11 then you shall bring everything that I command you to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations, and all your choice votive gifts that you vow to the Lord.(D) 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you together with your sons and your daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levites who reside in your towns (since they have no allotment or inheritance with you).(E)

A Prescribed Place of Worship

13 “Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place you happen to see. 14 But only at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes—there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do everything I command you.(F)

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Instead, you must seek to enter only the place that the Lord your God will choose among your tribes. There he will establish his name and live. Bring your burnt offerings there, along with your sacrifices, your tithes, your hand-carried gifts, your offerings in fulfillment of promises, your freely-given offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. Then you and your household will eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice with all the things you have made by your own effort[a] and with which he[b] blessed you.

“You must not act as we have been doing here today, where everyone acts as they see fit, since you haven’t arrived yet to your allotted place[c] that the Lord your God is about to give you. 10 But after you have crossed the Jordan River and settled in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and after you have received relief from the enemies around you and are living securely, 11 then bring to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling place—where he will establish his name—everything that I’m commanding you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your hand-carried gifts, and all your best offerings in fulfillment of promises that you pledged to the Lord.

12 “Rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the descendant of Levi who is in your city—because there is no territorial allotment[d] for him as you have. 13 Be careful not to offer burnt offerings at any location you happen to see[e] 14 instead of at the place the Lord will choose in one of the tribal areas. There you may offer burnt offerings, and there you may do everything that I’m commanding you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:7 Lit. hand
  2. Deuteronomy 12:7 Lit. the Lord
  3. Deuteronomy 12:9 Lit. allotted resting place and inheritance
  4. Deuteronomy 12:12 Lit. no portion and possession
  5. Deuteronomy 12:13 Lit. you see