Deuteronomy 12

1 “(I will now tell you again/These, [again], are) the rules and regulations that you must faithfully obey in the land that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], is giving to you to occupy. You must obey these laws all the time that you are alive.

These [are] the statutes and the judgments which you will take care! to observe in the land which he has given Yahweh [the] God of ancestors your to you to take possession of it all the days which you [are] alive on the land.

2 You must destroy all the places where the people-groups that you will expel worship their gods, on the tops of mountains and hills and under big green trees.

Certainly you will destroy! all the places where they have served there the nations whom you [are] about to dispossess them gods their on the mountains high and on the hills and under every tree luxuriant.

3 You must tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Completely burn the statues of their goddess Asherah in fires, and chop down their wooden idols, in order that no one will ever worship them [MTY] in those places again.

And you will break down altars their and you will shatter sacred pillars their and Asherah poles their you will burn! with fire and [the] images of gods their you will cut down! and you will destroy name their from the place that.

4 “Do not worship Yahweh like [the people in Canaan worship their gods].

Not you will do! thus to Yahweh God your.

5 Instead, you must go to the place that Yahweh will choose. It will be in the area where one of your tribes will live. That is where you must go to worship Yahweh.

That except to the place where he will choose Yahweh God your from all tribes your to put name his there to dwelling its you will resort and you will go there towards.

6 That is the place where you must bring your sacrifices that will be completely burned on the altar, and your other sacrifices, (your tithes/ten percent of all of your crops), other offerings that you decide to give, and the firstborn animals from your cattle and sheep.

And you will bring there towards burnt offerings your and sacrifices your and tithes your and [the] contribution of hand your and votive offerings your and freewill offerings your and [the] firstborn of herd[s] your and flock[s] your.

7 There, in the presence of Yahweh our God, who has [greatly] blessed you, you and your families will eat the good things that you have worked to produce, and you will be happy.

And you will eat there before Yahweh God your and you will rejoice in every undertaking of hand your you and households your which he has blessed you Yahweh God your.

8 “[When you are in that land], you must not do some of the things that we have been doing. Until now, you have all been worshiping [Yahweh] the way you wanted to,

Not you must do! according to all that we [are] doing here this day everyone all the right in own eyes his.

9 because you have not yet arrived in the land which Yahweh is giving to you, where you will be able to live peacefully.

For not you have come until now to the resting place and to the inheritance which Yahweh God your [is] about to give to you.

10 But when you cross the Jordan [River], you will start to live in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you. He will protect you from all your enemies that will surround you, and you will live peacefully/safely.

And you will pass over the Jordan and you will dwell in the land which Yahweh God your [is] giving as an inheritance you and he will give rest to you from all enemies your from round about and you will dwell security.

11 “Yahweh will choose one place where he wants you to worship him. That is the place to which you must bring all the offerings that I command you to bring: The sacrifices that must be completely burned [on the altar], your other sacrifices, other offerings that you yourselves decide to give, (your tithes/ten percent of all your crops), and all the special offerings that you will solemnly promise to give to Yahweh.

And it will be the place which he will choose Yahweh God your it to cause to dwell name his there there towards you will bring all that I [am] commanding you burnt offerings your and sacrifices your tithes your and [the] contribution of hand your and all [the] choicest of votive offerings your which you will vow to Yahweh.

12 Rejoice there in the presence of Yahweh, along with your children, your male and female servants, and the descendants of Levi who live in your towns. Do not forget that the descendants of Levi will not have their own land, like you will have.

And you will rejoice before Yahweh God your you and sons your and daughters your and [male] servants your and female servants your and the Levite who [is] in gates your for not [belongs] to him a portion and an inheritance with you.

13 Be sure that you do not offer sacrifices anywhere you want to.

Take heed to yourself lest you should offer up burnt offerings your in every place which you will see.

14 You must offer them only in the place that Yahweh will choose for you, in an area that belongs to one of your tribes. That is the only place where he wants you to offer sacrifices that will be completely burned [on the altar], and to do the other things that I am commanding you to do [when you worship him].

That except in the place which he will choose Yahweh in one of tribes your there you will offer up burnt offerings your and there you will do all that I [am] commanding you.

15 “However, you will be permitted to kill and eat the meat of your animals in the places where you live. As often as you want to, you may eat the meat of the animals that Yahweh our God will bless you by giving them to you. Those who have done things that cause them to become unacceptable to God and those who have not done things like that may all eat that meat, just like you would eat the meat of a deer or an antelope.

Only in all [the] desire of self your you will slaughter - and you will eat meat according to [the] blessing of Yahweh God your which he has given to you in all gates your the unclean and the clean he will eat it like gazelle and like deer.

16 But you must not eat the blood [of any animals]; you must let the blood drain onto the ground [before you cook the meat].

Only the blood not you must eat on the ground you will pour out it like water.

17 In the places where you live, you must not eat the things that you are offering [to Yahweh]: You must not eat the (tithes/ten percent) of your grain or of your wine, or of your [olive] oil, or the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, or the offerings that you yourselves decide to give to Yahweh, or any other offerings.

Not you will be able to eat in gates your [the] tithe of grain your and new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] firstborn of herd your and flock your and all votive offerings your which you will vow and freewill offerings your and [the] contribution of hand your.

18 Instead, you and your children and your male and female servants and the descendants of Levi who live in your towns must go to the place that he has chosen and eat those things there in the presence of Yahweh. And you should rejoice in the presence of Yahweh about everything that you do.

That except before Yahweh God your you will eat it in the place which he will choose Yahweh God your it you and son your and daughter your and [male] servant your and female servant your and the Levite who [is] in gates your and you will rejoice before Yahweh God your in every undertaking of hand your.

19 Be sure that you take care of the descendants of Levi all during the time that you live in your land.

Take heed to yourself lest you should neglect the Levite all days your on land your.

20 “When Yahweh our God gives you much more land [than you will have when you first occupy it], which is what he has promised to do, and you say ‘I would like some meat to eat’ because you are craving/wanting some meat, you will be permitted to eat meat whenever you want to.

If he will enlarge Yahweh God your territory your just as he spoke to you and you will say I want to eat meat for it will desire appetite your to eat meat in all [the] desire appetite your you will eat meat.

21 If the place that Yahweh our God chooses to be the place for you to worship him is far [from where you live], you are permitted to kill some of your cattle or sheep that Yahweh has given to you, and you may eat that meat at the places where you live, just like I have told you to do.

If it will be [too] far for you the place where he will choose Yahweh God your to put name his there and you will slaughter some of herd your and some of flock your which he has given Yahweh to you just as I commanded you and you will eat in gates your in all [the] desire of self your.

22 Those who have done things that cause them to become unacceptable to God, and those who have not done things like that, are all permitted to all eat that meat, just like you would eat the meat of a deer or an antelope.

Surely just as it is eaten the gazelle and the deer so you will eat it the unclean and the clean alike he will eat it.

23 But be sure that you do not eat the blood [of any animal], because it is the blood that sustains life in living beings, and so you must not eat the life along with the meat.

Only be strong to not to eat the blood for the blood it [is] the life and not you must eat the life with the meat.

24 Do not eat the blood; instead, let it drain onto the ground.

Not you must eat it on the ground you will pour out it like water.

25 If you obey this command and do what Yahweh says is right [for you to do], things will go well for you and for your descendants.

Not you must eat it so that it may go well for you and for children your after you for you will do the right in [the] eyes of Yahweh.

26 “But the sacred offerings that Yahweh has told you to give and the other offerings that you yourselves decide to give, you must take to the place that Yahweh will choose.

Only holy things your which they will belong to you and votive offerings your you will take and you will go to the place which he will choose Yahweh.

27 You must offer there the sacrifices that will be completely burned [on Yahweh’s altar]. You must also offer there the sacrifices from which you may eat some of meat after you [kill the animals and] drain out the blood and some of it is thrown on the [sides of the] altar.

And you will make burnt offerings your the flesh and the blood on [the] altar of Yahweh God your and [the] blood of sacrifices your it will be poured out on [the] altar of Yahweh God your and the flesh you will eat.

28 Faithfully obey all these things that I have commanded you. If you do that, things will go well forever for you and your descendants, because you will be doing what Yahweh our God says is right [for you to do] and what pleases him.

Take care and you will hear all the words these which I [am] commanding you so that it may go well for you and for children your after you until perpetuity for you will do the good [thing] and the right in [the] eyes of Yahweh God your.

29 “When you enter the land that you will occupy, as you advance, Yahweh our God will get rid of the people-groups that live there.

If he will cut off Yahweh God your the nations where you [are] about to go there towards by dispossessing them from before you and you will dispossess them and you will dwell in land their.

30 After he does that, be sure that you do not [worship the gods] that they have been worshiping, because if you do that, you will be caught in the same trap [that they were caught in] [MET]. Do not ask anyone about those gods, saying, ‘Tell me how they worshiped their gods, in order that I can [worship them] also.’

Take heed to yourself lest you should be ensnared after them after have been destroyed they from before you and lest you should enquire of gods their saying how? do they serve the nations these gods their so I may do thus also I.

31 Do not try to worship Yahweh our God like they have worshiped their gods, because when they worship them, they do disgusting things, things that Yahweh hates. [The worst thing that they do is] that they sacrifice their own children and burn them [on their altars].

Not you will do thus to Yahweh God your for every abomination of Yahweh which he hates they have done to gods their for also sons their and daughters their they burn with fire to gods their.

32 “Be sure to do everything that I have commanded you to do. Do not add anything to these commands, and do not take anything away from them.”

Every word which I [am] commanding you it you will take care to do not you must add to it and not you must diminish from it.