Deuteronomy 12 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Yahweh’s Chosen Place of Worship

1 “These ^H428 are the statutes ^H2706 and the judgments ^H4941 which ^H834 you shall be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 to do ^H6213 in the land ^H776 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of your fathers ^H1, has given ^H5414 you to possess ^H3423 all ^H3605 the days ^H3117 you live ^H2416 on the [fn]earth ^H127.

2 You shall utterly ^H6 destroy ^H6 all ^H3605 the places ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 the nations ^H1471 whom ^H834 you shall dispossess ^H3423 serve ^H5647 their gods ^H430, on the high ^H7311 mountains ^H2022 and on the hills ^H1389 and under ^H8478 every ^H3605 green ^H7488 tree ^H6086. 3 And you shall tear ^H5422 down ^H5422 their altars ^H4196 and shatter ^H7665 their sacred pillars ^H4676 and burn ^H8313 their [fn]Asherim ^H842 with fire ^H784, and you shall cut ^H1438 the graven ^H6456 images ^H6456 of their gods ^H430 in ^H1438 pieces ^H1438 and destroy ^H6 their name ^H8034 from that place ^H4725. 4 You shall not do ^H6213 thus ^H3651 toward Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430. 5 But you shall seek ^H1875 Yahweh at the place ^H4725 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 will choose ^H977 from all ^H3605 your tribes ^H7626, to establish ^H7760 His name ^H8034 there ^H8033 for His dwelling ^H7931, and there ^H8033 you shall come ^H935. 6 And there ^H8033 you shall bring ^H935 your burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930, your sacrifices ^H2077, your tithes ^H4643, the [fn]contribution ^H8641 of your hand ^H3027, your votive ^H5088 offerings ^H5088, your freewill ^H5071 offerings ^H5071, and the firstborn ^H1060 of your herd ^H1241 and of your flock ^H6629. 7 There ^H8033 also you and your households ^H1004 shall eat ^H398 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, and be glad ^H8055 in all ^H3605 that you send ^H4916 forth ^H4916 your hand ^H3027 to do, in which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 has blessed ^H1288 you.

8 “You shall not do ^H6213 at all ^H3605 what ^H834 we are doing ^H6213 here ^H6311 today ^H3117, every ^H376 man ^H376 doing whatever ^H3605 is right ^H3477 in his own eyes ^H5869; 9 for you have not as yet ^H6258 come ^H935 to the resting ^H4496 place ^H4496 and the inheritance ^H5159 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you. 10 Now you will cross ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383 and live ^H3427 in the land ^H776 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5157 you to ^H5157 inherit ^H5157. And He will give ^H5117 you rest ^H5117 from all ^H3605 your enemies ^H340 around ^H5439 you so that you live ^H3427 in security ^H983. 11 Then it will be ^H1961 that the place ^H4725 in which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 will choose ^H977 for His name ^H8034 to dwell ^H7931, there ^H8033 you shall bring ^H935 all ^H3605 that I am commanding ^H6680 you: your burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and your sacrifices ^H2077, your tithes ^H4643 and the [fn]contribution ^H8641 of your hand ^H3027, and all ^H3605 your choice ^H4005 votive ^H5088 offerings ^H5088 which ^H834 you will vow ^H5088 to Yahweh ^H3068. 12 And you shall be glad ^H8055 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, you and your sons ^H1121 and daughters ^H1323, your male ^H5650 and female ^H519 slaves ^H5650 H519, and the Levite ^H3881 who ^H834 is within your gates ^H8179, since ^H3588 he has ^H369 no ^H369 portion ^H2506 or inheritance ^H5159 with you.

13 “Beware ^H8104, lest ^H6435 you offer ^H5927 your burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 in every ^H3605 cultic place ^H4725 you see ^H7200, 14 but in the place ^H4725 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 chooses ^H977 in one ^H259 of your tribes ^H7626, there ^H8033 you shall offer ^H5927 your burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930, and there ^H8033 you shall do ^H6213 all ^H3605 that I am commanding ^H6680 you.

15 “However ^H7534, you may sacrifice ^H2076 and eat ^H398 meat ^H1320 within any ^H3605 of your gates ^H8179, [fn]whatever ^H3605 you desire ^H185, according to the blessing ^H1293 of Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 which ^H834 He has given ^H5414 you; the unclean ^H2931 and the clean ^H2889 may eat ^H398 of it, as of the gazelle ^H6643 and the deer ^H354. 16 Only ^H7534 you shall not eat ^H398 the blood ^H1818; you are to pour ^H8210 it out ^H8210 on the ground ^H776 like water ^H4325. 17 You are not allowed ^H3201 to eat ^H398 within your gates ^H8179 the tithe ^H4643 of your grain ^H1715 or new ^H8492 wine ^H8492 or oil ^H3323, or the firstborn ^H1060 of your herd ^H1241 or flock ^H6629, or any ^H3605 of your votive ^H5088 offerings ^H5088 which ^H834 you vow ^H5087, or your freewill ^H5071 offerings ^H5071, or the [fn]contribution ^H8641 of your hand ^H3027. 18 But you shall eat ^H398 them before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 in the place ^H4725 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 will choose ^H977, you and your son ^H1121 and daughter ^H1323, and your male ^H5650 and female ^H519 slaves ^H5650 H519, and the Levite ^H3881 who ^H834 is within your gates ^H8179; and you shall be glad ^H8055 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 in all ^H3605 that you send ^H4916 forth ^H4916 your hand ^H3027 to do. 19 Beware ^H8104 lest ^H6435 you forsake ^H5800 the Levite ^H3881 all ^H3605 your days ^H3117 upon your land ^H127.

20 “When ^H3588 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 enlarges ^H7337 your territory ^H1366 as He has promised ^H1696 you, and you say ^H559, ‘I will eat ^H398 meat ^H1320,’ because ^H3588 [fn]you desire ^H183 to eat ^H398 meat ^H1320, then you may eat ^H398 meat ^H1320, [fn]whatever ^H3605 you desire ^H185. 21 If ^H3588 the place ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 chooses ^H977 to set ^H7760 His name ^H8034 is ^H7368 too ^H4480 far ^H7368 away ^H7368 from you, then you may sacrifice ^H2076 of your herd ^H1241 and flock ^H6629 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 has given ^H5414 you, as I have commanded ^H6680 you; and you may eat ^H398 within your gates ^H8179 [fn]whatever ^H3605 you desire ^H185. 22 Just ^H389 H834 as a gazelle ^H6643 or a deer ^H354 is eaten ^H398, so ^H3651 you will eat ^H398 it; the unclean ^H2931 and the clean ^H2889 alike ^H3162 may eat ^H398 of it. 23 Only ^H7534 be ^H2388 strong ^H2388 in yourselves not to eat ^H398 the blood ^H1818, for the blood ^H1818 is the [fn]life ^H5315, and you shall not eat ^H398 the [fn]life ^H5315 with the flesh ^H1320. 24 You shall not eat ^H398 it; you shall pour ^H8210 it out ^H8210 on the ground ^H776 like water ^H4325. 25 You shall not eat ^H398 it, so ^H4616 that it may be well ^H3190 with you and your sons ^H1121 after ^H310 you, for you will be doing ^H6213 what ^H3477 is ^H3477 right ^H3477 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068. 26 Only ^H7534 your holy ^H6944 things ^H6944 which ^H834 you may have ^H1961 and your votive ^H5088 offerings ^H5088, you shall take ^H5375 and go ^H935 to the place ^H4725 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 chooses ^H977. 27 And you shall offer ^H6213 your burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930, the flesh ^H1320 and the blood ^H1818, on the altar ^H4196 of Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430; and the blood ^H1818 of your sacrifices ^H2077 shall be poured ^H8210 out ^H8210 on the altar ^H4196 of Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, and you shall eat ^H398 the flesh ^H1320.

28 “Be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 to listen ^H8085 to all ^H3605 these ^H428 words ^H1697 which ^H834 I command ^H6680 you, so ^H4616 that it may be well ^H3190 with you and your sons ^H1121 after ^H310 you forever ^H5704 H5769, for you will be doing ^H6213 what ^H2896 is ^H2896 good ^H2896 and right ^H3477 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430.

29 “When ^H3588 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 cuts ^H3772 off ^H3772 before ^H4480 H6440 you the nations ^H1471 which ^H834 you are going ^H935 in ^H935 to dispossess ^H3423, and you dispossess ^H3423 them and inhabit ^H3427 their land ^H776, 30 beware ^H8104 lest ^H6435 you be ensnared ^H5367 [fn]to follow ^H310 them, after ^H310 they are destroyed ^H8045 before ^H4480 H6440 you, and lest ^H6435 you inquire ^H1875 after their gods ^H430, saying ^H559, ‘How ^H351 do these ^H428 nations ^H1471 serve ^H5647 their gods ^H430, that I also ^H1571 may do ^H6213 likewise ^H3651?’ 31 You shall not do ^H6213 thus ^H3651 toward Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, for every ^H3605 abominable ^H8441 act ^H8441 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 hates ^H8130 they have done ^H6213 for their gods ^H430; for they even ^H1571 burn ^H8313 their sons ^H1121 and daughters ^H1323 in the fire ^H784 to their gods ^H430.

32 “[fn]Whatever ^{H3605 H1697 H834} I am commanding ^H6680 you, you shall be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 to do ^H6213; you shall not add ^H3254 to nor ^H3808 take ^H1639 away ^H1639 from it.