Deuteronomy - Chapter 12

1 These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it [for an inheritance], all the days that ye live upon the earth.

2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every thick green tree:

3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break in pieces their pillars, and burn [cut down] their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down [burn with fire] the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes [of your cities] to put [to name] his name there, and to be called upon, even unto his habitation shall ye seek out, and thither thou shalt come:

6 And thither ye shall bring your whole-burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes [and your first-fruits], and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and your offerings of thanksgiving, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

7 And there ye shall eat there before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all the things that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right [that which is pleasing] in his own eyes.

9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your [our] God giveth you.

10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you to-day; your whole-burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering [the first-fruits] of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD your God:

12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy whole-burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy whole-burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee this day.

15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates [in every city], whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean that is within thee and the clean may eat thereof on equal terms, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it out on the ground as water.

17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings [your thank-offerings], or heave offering [first-fruits] of thine hand:

18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose for himself, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite [the stranger] that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

20 When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen for himself to put his name there [that his name be called upon it] be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates [in thy cities] whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.

23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life of it; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.

25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is righ, good and pleasing t in the sight of the LORD thy God.

26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows [thy vowed-offerings], thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose to have his name named upon it:

27 And thou shalt offer thy whole-burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon [at the foot of] the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right [pleasing] in the sight of the LORD thy God.

29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them [to inherit their land], and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;

30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

32 What thing soever I command you this day, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.