"These are the statutes
and the judgments
which
you shall carefully
observe
in the land
which
the LORD
, the God
of your fathers
, has given
you to possess
1 aas long
as you live
on the 2earth
.
"You shall utterly destroy
all
the places
where
the nations
whom
you shall dispossess
serve
their gods
, on the ahigh
mountains
and on the hills
and under
every
green
tree
.
" aYou shall tear down
their altars
and smash
their sacred pillars
and burn
their 1Asherim
with fire
, and you shall cut
down
the engraved
images
of their gods
and bobliterate
their name
from that place
.
"You shall not act like
this
toward the LORD
your God
.
" aBut you shall seek the L{ORD} at the place
which
the LORD
your God
will choose
from all
your tribes
, to establish
His name
there
for His dwelling
, and there
you shall come
.
"There you shall bring
your burnt
offerings
, your sacrifices
, ayour tithes
, the 1contribution
of your hand
, your votive
offerings
, your freewill
offerings
, and the firstborn
of your herd
and of your flock
.
"There also you and your households
shall eat
before
the LORD
your God
, and arejoice
in all
1your undertakings
in which
the LORD
your God
has blessed
you.
"You shall not do at all
what
we are doing
here
today
, every
man
doing whatever
is right
in his own eyes
;
for you have not as yet come
to athe resting
place
and the binheritance
which
the LORD
your God
is giving
you.
"When you cross the Jordan
and live
in the land
which
the LORD
your God
is giving you to inherit
, and aHe gives
you rest
from all
your enemies
around
you so that you live
in security
,
athen it shall come about that the place
in which
the LORD
your God
will choose
for His name
to dwell
, there
you shall bring
all
that I command
you: your burnt
offerings
and your sacrifices
, your tithes
and the 1contribution
of your hand
, and all
your choice
votive
offerings
which
you will vow
to the LORD
.
"And you shall arejoice before
the LORD
your God
, you and your sons
and daughters
, your male
and female
servants
, and the bLevite
who
is within your gates
, since
che has
no
portion
or inheritance
with you.
" aBe careful that you do not offer
your burnt
offerings
in every
cultic place
you see
,
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.
" aHowever, you may slaughter
and eat
meat
within any
of your gates
, 1whatever
you desire
, according to the blessing
of the LORD
your God
which
He has given
you; the unclean
and the clean
may eat
of it, as of bthe gazelle
and the deer
.
" aOnly you shall not eat
the blood
; byou are to pour
it out on the ground
like water
.
" aYou are not allowed to eat
within your gates
the tithe
of your grain
or new
wine
or oil
, or the firstborn
of your herd
or flock
, or any
of your votive
offerings
which
you vow
, or your freewill
offerings
, or the 1contribution
of your hand
.
"But ayou shall eat them before
the LORD
your God
in bthe place
which
the LORD
your God
will choose
, you and your son
and daughter
, and your male
and female
servants
, and the cLevite
who
is within your gates
; and you shall drejoice
before
the LORD
your God
in all
1your undertakings
.
" aBe careful that you do not forsake
the Levite
1as long
as you live
in your land
.
"When the LORD
your God
extends
your border
aas He has promised
you, and you say
, `I will eat
meat
,' because
1you desire
to eat
meat
, then you may eat
meat
, 2whatever
you desire
.
"If the place
which
the LORD
your God
chooses
to put
His name
is too far
from you, then you may slaughter
of your herd
and flock
which
the LORD
has given
you, as I have commanded
you; and you may eat
within your gates
1whatever
you desire
.
"Just as a gazelle
or a deer
is eaten
, so
you will eat
it; the unclean
and the clean
alike
may eat
of it.
"Only be sure
anot to eat
the blood
, for the blood
is the 1life
, and you shall not eat
the 1life
with the flesh
.
"You shall not eat it; you shall pour
it out on the ground
like water
.
"You shall not eat it, so
that ait may be well
with you and your sons
after
you, for byou will be doing
what
is right
in the sight
of the LORD
.
" aOnly your holy
things
which
you may have
and your votive
offerings
, you shall take
and go
to the place
which
the LORD
chooses
.
"And ayou shall offer your burnt
offerings
, the flesh
and the blood
, on 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 byou shall eat
the flesh
.
"Be careful to listen
to all
these
words
which
I command
you, so
that ait may be well
with you and your sons
after
you forever
, for you will be doing
what
is good
and right
in the sight
of the LORD
your God
.
"When athe LORD
your God
cuts
off
before
you the nations
which
you are going
in to dispossess
, and you dispossess
them and dwell
in their land
,
beware that you are not ensnared
1to follow
them, after
they are destroyed
before
you, and that you do not inquire
after their gods
, saying
, `How
do these
nations
serve
their gods
, that I also
may do
likewise
?'
" aYou shall not behave thus
toward the LORD
your God
, for every
abominable
act
which
the LORD
hates
they have done
for their gods
; for bthey even
burn
their sons
and daughters
in the fire
to their gods
.
" 1 aWhatever I command
you, you shall be careful
to do
; byou shall not add
to nor
take
away
from it.