Deuteronomy 12

1 These [specific, divine] are the statutes [decrees, laws] and ordinances [judgments, regulations] you must be careful [diligent, faithful] to follow [obey, keep] all the days [every moment, throughout your lifetime] you live [reside, dwell] in the land [territory, earth] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], the God [Elohim, Creator] of your fathers [ancestors, heritage], has given [granted, bestowed] you to possess [occupy, inherit, take control of]. word study 2 Destroy completely [utterly, to the point of no remains] all the places [locations, areas of influence] where the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] you are dispossessing [taking control of, driving out] have served [worshiped, given allegiance to] their gods [Elohim, supernatural beings]—atop [on, above] the high mountains [elevated areas], on the hills [smaller elevated areas], and under [beneath, in the shadow of] every green [luxuriant, fresh] tree [a tree; wood, timber, a plank]. word study 3 Tear down [overthrow, demolish] their altars [places of sacrifice], smash [break, shatter] their sacred pillars [memorials, monuments], burn up [with fire, completely destroy] their Asherah poles [a wooden pole or grove of the goddess Asherah], cut down [hew down, destroy] the idols [carved images, false gods] of their gods [Elohim, deities], and wipe out [abolish, remove] their names [identities, reputations] from every place [location, region]. word study 4 You shall not [under no circumstances] worship the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme deity] in this way [so, thus, by these means]. word study 5 Instead, you must seek [to find and worship] the place [location, dwelling] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] will choose [select, appoint] from among all [every one of] your tribes [family groups, clans] to establish [set up, appoint] as a dwelling [habitation, home] for His Name [His character, reputation], and there [in that place, to that location] you must go [come, proceed]. word study 6 To that place [thither, to the appointed location] you are to bring your burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire] and sacrifices [offerings to God], your tithes [a tenth of your income, a payment of gratitude] and heave offerings [contributions lifted up to God], your vow offerings [promises made to God] and freewill offerings [gifts given voluntarily, from the heart], as well as the firstborn [the first in birth, the birthright] of your herds [domesticated cattle] and flocks [sheep or goats]. word study 7 There [in that specific location, at the appointed place], in the presence [face to face, before] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God], you [as individuals, personally] and your households [families, all your loved ones] shall eat [consume, devour] and rejoice [be glad, celebrate] in all [everything, every aspect] you do [put your hand to, undertake], because the LORD [the Lord of all] your God [the God of your life] has blessed [praised, honored] you [given you His favor]. word study 8 You are not [in no way, under no circumstances] to do as we [as a community, collectively] are doing here [in this place, at this time] today, where everyone [each individual, every person] does what seems [appears, is considered] right [just, upright] in his own eyes [from his own perspective, according to his own judgment]. word study 9 For you have not yet come [arrived, reached] to the resting place [a state of quietness, peaceful home] and the inheritance [something passed down, a gift from God] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [bestowing, providing] you. word study 10 When you cross [go over, pass through] the Jordan [the key river in Israel’s history] and live [dwell, settle] in the land [the promised territory, the earth] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [causing to inherit, granting as a possession] you as an inheritance [a permanent possession, a heritage], and He gives [grants, bestows] you rest [a state of peace, security] from all [every, the entirety of] the enemies [adversaries, those who oppose] around [surrounding, encompassing] you and you dwell [live, reside] securely [in safety, without fear, in confidence], word study 11 then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] will choose [select, appoint] a dwelling [place of residence, sanctuary] for His Name [His identity, character, and reputation]. And there you are to bring everything I command [give orders, instruct] you: your burnt offerings [completely consumed by fire] and sacrifices [gifts to God, acts of worship], your tithes [a tenth part, a contribution] and special gifts [freewill offerings, voluntary donations], and all the choice [best, most excellent] offerings you vow [promise, pledge] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. word study 12 And you shall rejoice [celebrate with joy, be glad] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God]—you, your sons [male descendants] and daughters [female children], your menservants [male slaves] and maidservants [female slaves], and the Levite [a descendant of Levi] within your gates [city entrances], since he has no portion [inheritance, smoothness] or inheritance [something passed down, a family heirloom] among you [with you, near you]. word study 13 Be careful [take heed to thyself] not to offer your burnt offerings [holocausts, sacrifices to be completely consumed] in just any place [every location, anywhere you see] you see [that thou seest, that thou shalt see]; word study 14 you must offer them only in the place [marked out by God’s sovereign choice] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will choose [select, appoint] in one [a single, unified] of your tribal territories [areas belonging to your clans or tribes], and there [in that specific location, at that time] you shall do [make, perform, obey] all [everything, every command] that I [the speaker, God Himself] command [give orders, appoint, ordain] you. word study 15 But whenever you want [at any time, according to your desire], you may slaughter [kill, sacrifice] and eat meat [flesh, the body of an animal] within any of your gates [city entrances, doors], according to the blessing [gift, prosperity] the LORD [Yehovah, God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] has given you [provided, bestowed upon you]. Both the ceremonially clean [pure] and unclean [impure, tame] may eat it [consume, devour] as they would a gazelle [a beautiful animal] or deer [a male deer, hart], word study 16 but you must not [under any circumstances] eat the blood [the liquid that flows through the body]; pour it [shed, drain out] on the ground [earth, land] like water [a liquid, a source of refreshment]. word study 17 Within your gates [city entrances, town doors] you must not eat the tithe [a tenth part] of your grain [wheat or cereal] or new wine [freshly squeezed, unfermented] or oil [producing light, anointing], the firstborn [birthright, firstlings] of your herds [cattle, oxen] or flocks [sheep, goats], any of the offerings [vows, promises] that you have vowed [promised, dedicated] to give, or your freewill offerings [voluntary gifts, spontaneity] or special gifts [contributions, tributes]. word study 18 Instead, you must eat them in the presence [before the face, in the sight] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] at the place [location, city] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God will choose [select, appoint]—you, your sons [male descendants] and daughters [female descendants], your menservants [male slaves] and maidservants [female slaves], and the Levite [a descendant of Levi] within your gates [city entrances]. Rejoice [be glad, celebrate] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God in all [everything, every matter] you do [put your hand to, undertake], word study 19 and be careful [take heed to thyself, beware] not to neglect [forsake, loosen or relinquish] the Levites [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe] as long as you live [livest, dwell] in your land [earth, ground, territory]. word study 20 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God expands [to enlarge, make wide] your territory [border, boundary] as He has promised [spoken, given His word], and you crave [have a strong desire, long] meat [flesh, the body or animal] and say, “I want [desire, wish] to eat [devour, consume] meat,” you may eat [consume, devour] it whenever you want [have a desire, according to your soul’s longing]. word study 21 If the place [location, city, or region] where the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] chooses [selects, elects] to put His Name [identity, honor, and character] is too far [distant, remote] from you, then you may slaughter [kill, sacrifice] any of the herd [cattle, oxen] or flock [sheep, goats] He has given [provided, bestowed] you, as I have commanded [ordered, instructed] you, and you may eat [consume, devour] it within your gates [city entrances, town] whenever [at any time, as you desire] you want [desire, wish]. word study 22 Indeed, you may eat it [like a roebuck or hart] as you would eat [as is eaten] a gazelle [beauty, splendor; a gazelle] or deer [a male deer, also known as a stag or hart]; both the ceremonially [in a spiritual sense] unclean [impure, defiled] and the clean [pure, morally upright] may eat it [together, in unity]. word study 23 Only [except, with no exception] be sure not to eat the blood [the life-giving fluid], because the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] is the life [the essence of living], and you must not eat the life [the soul, the vital force] with the meat [the flesh, the physical body]. word study 24 You must not [under no circumstances] eat the blood [as food, for sustenance]; pour it [shed, drain] on the ground [the earth, land] like water [as a liquid, a source of refreshment]. word study 25 Do not [refuse to, abstain from] eat it, so that it may go well [be pleasing, joyful] with you and your children [sons, descendants] after you, because [for the reason that, since] you will be doing [making, performing] what is right [just, upright] in the eyes [sight, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 26 But you are to take your holy things [sanctified offerings, sacred gifts] and your vow offerings [promises made to God, things dedicated] and go to the place [the location, the sacred site] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will choose [select, appoint]. word study 27 Present the meat [flesh, the body or a person] and blood [the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life] of your burnt offerings [sacrifices that will be completely burned] on the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. The blood [the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life] of your other sacrifices [the act of offering an animal’s flesh to God] must be poured out [to pour or spill something out, like blood or a liquid] beside the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] of the LORD [The covenant Name of God] your God, but you may eat [to eat or devour] the meat [the body or a person, living things or animals]. word study 28 Be careful [take heed, observe diligently] to obey [hear and follow, keep] all these things [words, commands, ordinances] I command [give orders, appoint] you, so that it may always go well [be pleasant, prosper] with you and your children [sons, descendants] after you, because [for the reason that, since] you will be doing [making, performing] what is good [pleasant, beneficial] and right [just, upright] in the eyes [sight, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God]. word study 29 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] cuts off [destroys, removes] before you the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] you are entering [going in to possess] to dispossess [take control of, drive out], and you drive them out [expel, remove] and live [dwell, reside] in their land [territory, country], word study 30 be careful [take heed to thyself, beware] not to be ensnared [snared, trapped] by their ways [customs, practices] after they have been destroyed [annihilated, devastated] before you. Do not inquire [seek, ask] about their gods [idols, false deities], asking, “How [in what manner] do these nations [Gentiles, peoples] serve [worship, obey] their gods? I will do [make, act] likewise [in the same way, so].” word study 31 You must not worship the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] in this way, because they practice for their gods [idols, false deities] every abomination [detestable act, disgusting thing] which the LORD [the supreme Ruler] hates [intensely dislikes, rejects]. They even burn [sacrifice by fire, utterly destroy] their sons and daughters in the fire [flames, fiery blaze] as sacrifices [offerings, gifts] to their gods [idols, false deities]. word study 32 See that you do everything [all, all things] I command you; do not add [increase, supplement] to it or subtract [diminish, take away] from it. word study