Deuteronomy 12

1These are the ordinances and judgments you shall be careful to observe in the land the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to inherit, all the days you live on the earth.

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2You shall utterly destroy all the places the nations you will inherit served their gods: on the high mountains, on the hills, and under the tree of the grove.

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3So you shall destroy their altars, break their pillars, cut down their groves, burn the carved images of their gods with fire, and destroy their name from that place.

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4You shall not do thus with the Lord your God.

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5But you shall seek the place the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name and to be called on there; and you shall go and seek Him there.

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6There you shall bring your whole burnt offerings, sacrifices, firstfruits, prayers, voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your oxen and sheep.

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7There you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand, you and your households, as the Lord your God blessed you.

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8'You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—

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9for as yet, you have not come to the rest and the inheritance the Lord your God gives you.

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10But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, and you dwell in safety,

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11then there will be the place the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all I command you today: your whole burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the first fruits of your hands, and all your gifts and all your choice gifts you vow to the Lord.

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12And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

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13Take heed to yourself, do not offer your whole burnt offerings in every place you see;

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14but in the place the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes; there you shall offer your whole burnt offerings, and there you shall do all I command you today.

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15'However, according to your every desire, you may slaughter and eat meat, according to the blessing the Lord your God gave you in each city; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.

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16Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water.

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17You may not eat the tithe in your cities: of your grain, wine, or olive oil, of the firstborn of your oxen or sheep, of any of your offerings you vow, of your agreements, or of the firstfruits of your hands.

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18But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and daughter, your male and female servant, and the resident alien in your cities; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hand.

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19Take heed to yourself, do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

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20'Now if the Lord your God enlarges your borders, as He told you, and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you desire to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your soul desires.

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21But if the place the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your oxen and sheep the Lord gave you in the manner I commanded you, and may eat in your cities according to your soul's desire.

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22Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them.

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23Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life; the life will not be eaten with the meat.

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24You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water.

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25You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your sons after you, if you do what is good and pleasing before the Lord your God.

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26Only the holy things you have and your vowed offerings you shall take and go to the place the Lord your God chooses for His name to be called upon there.

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27You shall offer your whole burnt offerings; you shall offer the meat upon the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God; and you shall eat the meat.

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28Keep, obey, and do all these words I command you, that it may go well with you and your sons forever, if you do what is good and pleasing in the sight of the Lord your God.

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29'If the Lord your God destroys before your face the nations whose land you go to inherit, and you inherit them and dwell in their land,

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30take heed to yourself that you not seek to follow them after they are destroyed from before your face, and do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.'

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31You shall not do thus with the Lord your God; for every abomination the Lord hates they have done with their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

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