Deuteronomy 12

1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which ye shall observe to do in the land which Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath given thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

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 Ye shall surely destroy all the places wherein the nations that ye shall dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

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 and ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and ye shall destroy their name out of that place.

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 Ye shall not do so unto Jehovah your God.

You shall not do so to Adonai your God.

5 But unto the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come;

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 and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock:

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 and there ye shall eat before Jehovah your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee.

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 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes;

You shall not do after all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes;

9 for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.

for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Adonai your God gives you.

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

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;

11 then it shall come to pass that to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto Jehovah.

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 And ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no portion nor inheritance with you.

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

Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;

14 but in the place which Jehovah shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

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, thou mayest kill and eat flesh within all thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul, according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart.

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 ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.

Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.

17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or of thy new wine, or of thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering of thy hand;

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, nor your free will offerings, nor the wave offering of your hand;

18 but thou shalt eat them before Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.

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 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest in thy land.

Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 When Jehovah thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul desireth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul.

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 If the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which Jehovah hath given thee, as I have commanded thee; and thou mayest eat within thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul.

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 hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat thereof: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof alike.

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 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh.

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

You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like 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 right in the eyes of Jehovah.

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 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which Jehovah shall choose;

Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Adonai shall choose.

27 and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of Jehovah thy God; and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of Jehovah thy God; and thou shalt eat the flesh.

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 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 in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.

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.

29 When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest in to dispossess them, and thou dispossessest them, and dwellest in their land;

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 take heed to thyself that thou be not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

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

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 What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Whatever thing I enjoin you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.