Deuteronomy
Chapter 12
1 Here are the rules and decisions you must follow in the land that God of your ancestors is giving you to own, as long as you live on the earth.
2 You must completely destroy all the places where the nations you will take over worshiped their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
3 You must knock down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You must cut down their idols and wipe out their names from that place.
4 Do not do this to your God.
5 Go to the place that God chooses from all your tribes to honor his name, search for his dwelling, and go there.
6 Take your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, gifts, promises, voluntary offerings, and the first of your herds and flocks there.
7 You will eat there in front of God and be happy with all your work, you and your families, because God has blessed you.
8 You must not do everything we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right to them.
9 You have not yet reached the place of rest and the land that God is giving you.
10 But when you cross the Jordan and live in the land that God your God gives you to inherit, and when he gives you peace from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety;
11 There will be a place that God will choose for his name to live; there you must bring everything I tell you: your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, special gifts, and all your chosen promises to God.
12 You will be happy in front of God, you and your sons, your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite that lives in your town, because he doesn’t own or inherit land like you do.
13 Be careful to not give your burnt offerings in just any place you see.
14 But in the place God picks in one of your tribes, there you must present your burnt offerings and do everything I tell you.
15 You can kill and eat meat anywhere you live, whatever you desire, according to God’s blessings given to you; both clean and unclean people can eat it, just like eating deer or gazelle meat.
16 Do not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
17 You must not eat the tenth part of your grain, wine, or oil, or the firstborn of your cattle or sheep, or any offerings you promised to God, or your voluntary gifts, or special offerings in your own places.
18 You must eat them in the presence of God at the place God will choose. You, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, and the Levite in your town should all rejoice in everything you do.
19 Be careful not to ignore the Levite as long as you live on the earth.
20 When God makes your land larger, as he promised you, and you want to eat meat because you crave it, you can eat any meat you desire.
21 If the place God has chosen for his name is too far from you, then you may slaughter your cattle and sheep that God has given you, as I have instructed, and you can eat what you desire within your own gates.
22 Just as you can eat deer or gazelle meat, you may eat these animals: both people who are impure and those who are pure can eat them.
23 Make sure you do not eat the blood because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.
24 Do not eat it; pour it on the ground like water.
25 Do not eat it so that things will go well with you and your children, when you do what is right in God’s eyes.
26 Take your holy items and promises, and go to the place God will select.
27 You must present your burnt offerings, both the meat and the blood, on the altar of God. The blood of your offerings should be spilled on God’s altar, and you may eat the meat.
28 Listen and follow all these instructions I give you, so things will go well for you and your children forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of God.
29 When God removes the nations before you, where you are going to take over, and you replace them and live in their land;
30 Be careful not to be trapped by copying them, after they are defeated in front of you; and don’t ask about their gods, wondering how these people worshiped their gods, thinking you might do the same.
31 Do not act this way towards God, because they have done everything God hates to their gods, even burning their sons and daughters in fire for them.
32 Do whatever I tell you: don’t add to it or take away from it.