Deuteronomy Chapter 12

One Central Place of Worship

                        ¹ “You’re to observe these statutes and judgments as long as you live. ² Destroy the places where these nations worship their gods—on hills and mountains and under every green tree. ³ Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn their Asherah poles, cut down the carved images of their gods, erase their name from those places.

⁴ Don’t conduct yourselves that way with the LORD your God. ⁵ Look to him where he designates. ⁶ Take your burnt offerings there, your sacrifices, your tithes and contributions, your offerings for fulfilling a vow, and your freewill offerings, the firstborn in your herds and flocks. ⁷ Eat there with the LORD and celebrate in your endeavors. ⁸ Don’t do like we’re doing here today, with all of you doing what seems right to you. ⁹ You haven’t yet come to the resting place the LORD’s giving you. ¹⁰ When he gives you security from your enemies, ¹⁴ do everything I command you where he designates in one of your tribes—[ ¹¹ ] ^12byou, your children, your male and female servants, and the Levite inside your gates (since he doesn’t have any inheritance with you). [^{12a, 13}]       

Deut 12:1-14

                  ¹⁵“But, you can butcher and eat meat inside your gates however you like with the LORD’s blessing. The ceremonially clean and unclean can eat it, as with the gazelle and the deer. ¹⁶ Only don’t eat the blood; drain it out on the ground. ¹⁷ Don’t eat inside your gates the tenth of your grain, any offering for fulfilling a vow, or your freewill offerings and contributions. ¹⁸ Eat them with the LORD where he designates and celebrate your endeavors. ¹⁹ Make sure you don’t leave him anytime in life.

                                    ²⁰“When the LORD extends your border and you want some meat, go on and eat it. ²¹ If the place he designates is too far away, butcher animals from your herds and flocks where you live. ²² Just like you eat a gazelle or deer, whether you’re ceremonially clean or unclean. [ ^23-24 ] ²⁵ Don’t eat the blood, so things will go well for you and your descendants; you’ll be doing what’s right in front of God. ²⁶ But where he designates take your holy things and offerings to fulfill a vow. ²⁷ Offer your burnt offerings on the altar, pour out the blood on the altar, and eat the meat. [ ²⁸ ]

                        ²⁹ “When the LORD cuts off the nations you overtake^sg, ³⁰ don’t ask^sg how they serve their gods so you can do that. ³¹ They do for their gods every disgusting thing the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters to their gods.

³² “Do what I tell you, nothing more or less.                             

Deut 12:15-32