Deuteronomy 12:20-28

The Voice

^20-21 You see, the Eternal your God is going to give you an extensive territory as He’s promised. You may be living at some distance from the place where He chooses to put His name. And there will be times when you say to yourself, “I’m going to have some meat—that’s what I’m craving!” Go right ahead—as often as you wish. If you take from one of the domesticated animals the Eternal has given you from your herd or your flock and eat it in your own town, I’m telling you it’s all right to do that. ²² It’s just like eating a gazelle or a deer. People don’t need to be ritually pure to eat this meat. ²³ But discipline yourselves not to eat the blood because the blood is the soul, and you mustn’t eat the soul along with the meat. ²⁴ Don’t eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. ²⁵ If you don’t eat it, you’ll be doing what the Eternal considers right, and everything will go well for you and your descendants.

²⁶ But bring anything that will be a sacred meal and any sacrifice that will be offered to pay a vow to the place He will choose. ²⁷ There you will offer both the meat and the blood of your burnt sacrifices on His altar. You must pour out the blood of your sacrifices on the altar, but you will eat the meat. ²⁸ Be very careful to obey all these words I’m telling you. Then you’ll be doing what the Eternal your God considers good and right, and everything will go well for you and your descendants forever.