Deuteronomy / D'varim 12

1 These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall observe to do in the land which Adonai , the God of your fathers, has given you to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 [a] You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess abad ·served· their deities, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 You shall break down their altars, and dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their deities. You shall destroy their name out of that place. 4 [b] You shall not do so to Adonai your God. 5 [c] But to the place which Adonai your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and there you shall come. 6 There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 There you shall eat before Adonai your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Adonai your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not do after all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Adonai your God gives you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan [Descender], and dwell in the land which Adonai your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety; (2) 11 [d] then it shall happen that to the place which Adonai your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I enjoin you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Adonai . 12 You shall rejoice before Adonai your God, you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite [Descendant of United with] who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 13 [e] Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which Adonai chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I enjoin you. 15 † Notwithstanding, you may kill and eat meat within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to Adonai your God’s blessing which he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle, and as of the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 [g] § You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, * or of your new wine, † or of your oil, ‡ § or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, * nor any of your vows which you vow, [n] nor your free will offerings, nor the wave offering of your hand; 18 but you shall eat them before Adonai your God in the place which Adonai your God shall choose, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, and the Levite [Descendant of United with] who is within your gates. You shall rejoice before Adonai your God in all that you put your hand to. 19 [o] Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 When Adonai your God enlarges your border, as he has promised you, and you shall say, “I want to eat meat,” because your soul desires to eat meat; you may eat meat, after all the desire of your soul. 21 [p] If the place which Adonai your God shall choose, to put his name there, is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Adonai has given you, as I have enjoined you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul. 22 Even as the gazelle and as the deer is eaten, so you shall eat of it. The unclean and the clean may eat of it alike. 23 * Deut 12:23 (Deut 12:23-25) (#3.245): T. This command is not found in the straightforward text which reads: “Not to eat the life with the flesh” (v23) / R. Not to eat a limb removed from a living animal
T. Directive: You shall pour the blood out on the earth like water (v24) Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in Adonai ’s eyes. 26 [r] Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Adonai shall choose. 27 You shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on Adonai your God’s altar; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on Adonai your God’s altar; and you shall eat the meat. 28 Observe and sh'ma ·hear obey· all these words which I enjoin you, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in Adonai your God’s eyes.

(3) 29 When Adonai your God cuts off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land; 30 be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their deities, saying, “How do these nations abad ·serve· their deities? I will do likewise.” 31 You shall not do so to Adonai your God; for every abomination to Adonai , which he hates, have they done to their deities; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their deities. 32 Whatever thing I enjoin you, that you shall observe to do. ‡ You shall not add to it, § nor take away from it. [u]

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