Chapter 12

These [are] the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe⁴ to do² in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth¹ thee to possess² it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

Ye shall utterly¹⁵ destroy¹⁷ all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess⁶ served¹ their gods, upon the high⁶ mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

And ye shall overthrow¹⁴ their altars, and break¹⁴ their pillars, and burn⁴ their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down¹⁷ the graven images of their gods, and destroy¹⁴ the names of them out of that place.

Ye shall not do⁴ so unto the LORD your God.

But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose⁴ out of all your tribes to put² his name there, [even] unto his habitation shall ye seek,⁴ and thither thou shalt come:¹

And thither ye shall bring⁵² your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

And there ye shall eat¹ before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice¹ in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed¹⁴ thee.

Ye shall not do⁴ after all [the things] that we do⁶ here this day, every man whatsoever [is] right in his own eyes.

For ye are not as yet come¹ to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth⁶ you.

But [when] ye go over¹ Jordan, and dwell¹ in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit,⁵⁶ and [when] he giveth you rest⁵² from all your enemies⁶ round about, so that ye dwell¹ in safety;

Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose⁴ to cause his name to dwell¹⁵ there; thither shall ye bring⁵⁵ all that I command¹⁸ you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow⁴ unto the LORD:

And ye shall rejoice¹ 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.

Take heed¹⁰ to thyself that thou offer⁵⁵ not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:⁴

But in the place which the LORD shall choose⁴ in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer⁵⁵ thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do⁴ all that I command¹⁸ thee.

Notwithstanding thou mayest kill⁴ and eat¹ flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given¹ thee: the unclean and the clean may eat⁴ thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

Only ye shall not eat⁴ the blood; ye shall pour⁴ it upon the earth as water.

Thou mayest⁴ not eat² 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,⁴ nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:

But thou must eat⁴ them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose,⁴ thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that [is] within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice¹ before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

Take heed¹⁰ to thyself that thou forsake⁴ not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

When the LORD thy God shall enlarge⁵⁵ thy border, as he hath promised¹⁴ thee, and thou shalt say,¹ I will eat⁴ flesh, because thy soul longeth¹⁷ to eat² flesh; thou mayest eat⁴ flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen⁴ to put² his name there be too far⁴ from thee, then thou shalt kill¹ of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given¹ thee, as I have commanded¹⁴ thee, and thou shalt eat¹ in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten,¹¹ so thou shalt eat⁴ them: the unclean and the clean shall eat⁴ [of] them alike.

Only be sure³ that thou eat² not the blood: for the blood [is] the life; and thou mayest not eat⁴ the life with the flesh.

Thou shalt not eat⁴ it; thou shalt pour⁴ it upon the earth as water.

Thou shalt not eat⁴ it; that it may go well⁴ with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do⁴ [that which is] right in the sight of the LORD.

Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take,⁴ and go¹ unto the place which the LORD shall choose:⁴

And thou shalt offer¹ thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out¹¹ upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat⁴ the flesh.

Observe³ and hear¹ all these words which I command¹⁸ thee, that it may go well⁴ with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest⁴ [that which is] good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

When the LORD thy God shall cut off⁵⁵ the nations from before thee, whither thou goest⁶ to possess² them, and thou succeedest¹ them, and dwellest¹ in their land;

Take heed¹⁰ to thyself that thou be not snared¹¹ by following them, after that they be destroyed⁹ from before thee; and that thou enquire⁴ not after their gods, saying,² How did these nations serve⁴ their gods? even so will I do⁴ likewise.

Thou shalt not do⁴ so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth,¹ have they done¹ unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt⁴ in the fire to their gods.

What thing soever I command¹⁸ you, observe⁴ to do² it: thou shalt not add⁵⁵ thereto, nor diminish⁴ from it.