‏ Deuteronomy 12

1And theseare the ordinances and the judgments, which you⌃ shall observe to do in the land, which theLord God of your fathers gives you for an inheritance, all the days which you⌃ live upon the land. 2You⌃ shall utterly destroy all the places in which they served their gods, whoseland you⌃ inherit, on the high mountains and on the hills, and under the thick tree. 3And you⌃ shall destroy their altars, and break in pieces their pillars, and you⌃ shallcut down their groves, and you⌃ shall burn with fire the graven images of their gods, and you⌃ shall abolishtheir name out of that place. 4You⌃ shall not do so to the Lord your God. 5But in the place which the Lord your God shall choose in one of your cities to name hisname there, and to be called upon, you⌃ shall even seekhim out and go there. 6And you⌃ shall carry there your whole burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your first fruits,and your vowed-offerings, and your free will offerings, and your offerings of thanksgiving, the firstbornof your herds, and of your flocks. 7And you⌃ shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you⌃ shall rejoice in all the thingson which you⌃ shall lay your hand, you⌃ and your houses, as the Lord your God has blessed you. 8You⌃ shall not do altogether as we do here today, every man that which is pleasing inhis own sight. 9For hitherto you⌃ have not arrived at the rest and the inheritance, which the Lord ourGod gives you. 10And you⌃ shall go over Jordan, and shall dwell in the land, which the Lord our God takesas an inheritance for you; and he shall give you rest from all your enemies round about, and you⌃ shalldwell safely. 11And there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose for his name to be calledthere, there shall you⌃ bring all things that I order you today; your whole burnt offerings, and yoursacrifices, and your tithes, and the first fruits of your hands, and every choice gift of yours, whateveryou⌃ shall vow to the Lord your God. 12And you⌃ shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you⌃ and your sons, and your daughters,and your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite that is at your gates; because he has no portionor inheritance with you. 13Take heed to yourself that you offer not your whole burnt offerings in any place whichyou shall see; 14save in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, in one of your tribes, thereshall you⌃ offer your whole burnt offerings, and there shall you do all things whatever I charge you thisday. 15But you shall kill according to all your desire, and shall eat flesh according to theblessing of the Lord your God, which he has given you in every city; the unclean that is within you andthe clean shall eat it on equal terms, as the doe or the stag. 16Only you⌃ shall not eat the blood; you⌃ shall pour it out on the ground as water. 17You shall not be able to eat in your cities the tithe of your corn, and of your wine,and of your oil, the firstborn of your herd and of your flock, and allyour vows as many as you⌃ shall have vowed, and your thank-offerings, and the first fruitsof your hands. 18But before the Lord your God you shall eat it, in the place which the Lord your God shallchoose for himself, you, and your son, and your daughter, your man-servant, and your maidservant, andthe stranger that is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, on whatever youshall lay your hand. 19Take heed to yourself that you do not desert the Levite all the time that you live uponthe earth. 20And if the Lord your God shall enlarge your borders, as he said to you, and you shallsay, I will eat flesh; if your soul should desire to eat flesh, you shall eat flesh according to all thedesire of your soul. 21And if the place be far from you, which the Lord your God shall choose for himself, thathis name be called upon it, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock which God shall have givenyou, even as I commanded you, and you shall eat in your cities according to the desire of your soul. 22As the doe and the stag are eaten, so shall you eat it; the unclean in you and the cleanshall eat it in like manner. 23Take diligent heed that you eat no blood, for bloodis the life of it; the life shall not be eaten with the flesh. 24You⌃ shall not eatit; you⌃ shall pour it out on the ground as water. 25You shall not eat it, that it may be well with you and with your sons after you, if youshall do that which is good and pleasing before the Lord your God. 26But you shall take your holy things, if you have any, and your vowed-offerings, and cometo the place which the Lord your God shall choose to have his name named upon it. 27And you shall sacrifice your whole burnt offerings, you shall offer the flesh upon thealtar of the Lord your God; but the blood of your sacrifices you shall pour out at the foot of the altarof the Lord your God, but the flesh you shall eat. 28Beware and hearken, and you shall do all the commands which I charge you, that it maybe well with you and with your sons for ever, if you shall do that which is pleasing and good before theLord your God. 29And if the Lord your God shall utterly destroy the nations, to whom you go in there toinherit their land, from before you, and you shall inherit it, and dwell in their land; 30take heed to yourself that you seek not to follow them after they are destroyed beforeyou, saying, How do these nations act towards their gods? I will do likewise. 31You shall not do so to your God; for they have sacrificed to their gods the abominationsof the Lord which he hates, for they burn their sons and their daughters in fire to their gods. 32Every word that I command you this day, it shall you observe to do: you shall not addto it, nor diminish from it.

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