But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name(A) there for his dwelling.(B) To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes(C) and special gifts, what you have vowed(D) to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.(E) There, in the presence(F) of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice(G) in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,(H) since you have not yet reached the resting place(I) and the inheritance(J) the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving(K) you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest(L) from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name(M)—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.(N) 12 And there rejoice(O) before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites(P) from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance(Q) of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.(R) 14 Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose(S) in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer,(T) according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. 16 But you must not eat the blood;(U) pour(V) it out on the ground like water.(W) 17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe(X) of your grain and new wine and olive oil,(Y) or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give,(Z) or your freewill offerings or special gifts.(AA) 18 Instead, you are to eat(AB) them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose(AC)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice(AD) before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. 19 Be careful not to neglect the Levites(AE) as long as you live in your land.(AF)

20 When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory(AG) as he promised(AH) you, and you crave meat(AI) and say, “I would like some meat,” then you may eat as much of it as you want. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name(AJ) is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want.(AK)

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But unto the place which the Lord 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:

And thither ye shall bring 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 eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.

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

For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.

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

11 Then there shall be a place which the Lord 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 the Lord:

12 And ye shall rejoice 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.

13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

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

15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

17 Thou mayest not eat 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, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:

18 But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

20 When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

21 If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

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“But you shall seek the (A)place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His (B)dwelling[a] place; and there you shall go. (C)There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the (D)firstborn of your herds and flocks. And (E)there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and (F)you shall rejoice in [b]all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—(G)every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes— for as yet you have not come to the (H)rest[c] and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you (I)rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, 11 then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord. 12 And (J)you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the (K)Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 13 Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

15 “However, (L)you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; (M)the unclean and the clean may eat of it, (N)of the gazelle and the deer alike. 16 (O)Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the [d]heave offering of your hand. 18 But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in [e]all to which you put your hands. 19 [f]Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 “When the Lord your God (P)enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from (Q)you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:5 home
  2. Deuteronomy 12:7 all that you undertake
  3. Deuteronomy 12:9 Or place of rest
  4. Deuteronomy 12:17 contribution
  5. Deuteronomy 12:18 all your undertakings
  6. Deuteronomy 12:19 Be careful