Deuteronomy 12

1These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth.Cross-references: Deut 4:1 · Deut 4:5 · Deut 4:9 · Deut 4:19 · Deut 4:45 · Deut 6:1 · +5 more

2You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods: on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree.Cross-references: Ex 23:24 · Ex 34:12 · Num 22:41 · Num 33:51 · Deut 7:5 · Deut 7:25 · +7 more

3You shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their gods. You shall destroy their name out of that place.Cross-references: Ex 23:13 · Num 33:52 · Deut 7:5 · Judg 2:2 · 1Ki 15:13 · 2Ki 18:4 · +11 more

4You shall not do so to Yahweh your God.Cross-references: Lev 20:23 · Deut 12:30 · Deut 16:21 · Deut 20:18

5But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you shall come there.Cross-references: Ex 15:2 · Ex 25:22 · Num 7:89 · Deut 12:11 · Deut 12:13 · Deut 16:2 · +20 more

6You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there.Cross-references: Lev 17:3 · Lev 27:32 · Num 18:15 · Deut 12:17 · Deut 14:22 · Deut 15:19 · +6 more

7There you shall eat before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.Cross-references: Lev 23:40 · Deut 12:12 · Deut 12:18 · Deut 14:23 · Deut 14:26 · Deut 15:20 · +8 more

8You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes;Cross-references: Num 15:39 · Judg 17:6 · Judg 21:25 · Prov 21:2 · Amos 5:25 · Acts 7:42

9for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Yahweh your God gives you.Cross-references: Deut 25:19 · 1Ki 8:56 · 1Chr 23:25 · Ps 95:11 · Mic 2:10 · Heb 4:8 · +1 more

10But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety,Cross-references: Lev 25:18 · Deut 3:27 · Deut 4:22 · Deut 9:1 · Deut 11:31 · Deut 33:12 · +14 more

11then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh.Cross-references: Deut 12:5 · Deut 12:14 · Deut 12:18 · Deut 12:21 · Deut 12:26 · Deut 14:23 · +13 more

12You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you.Cross-references: Num 18:20 · Num 18:23 · Num 18:26 · Deut 10:9 · Deut 12:7 · Deut 12:19 · +17 more

13Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;Cross-references: Lev 17:2 · Deut 12:6 · 1Ki 12:28 · 1Ki 15:34 · 2Chr 15:17

14but in the place which Yahweh chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.Cross-references: Deut 12:5 · Deut 12:11 · Ps 5:7 · Ps 9:11 · 2Cor 5:19 · Heb 10:19 · +1 more

15Yet you may kill and eat meat within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to Yahweh your God’s blessing which he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer.Cross-references: Lev 17:3 · Deut 12:20 · Deut 14:5 · Deut 14:26 · Deut 15:22

16Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.Cross-references: Gen 9:4 · Lev 7:26 · Lev 17:10 · Deut 12:23 · Deut 15:23 · Acts 15:29 · +1 more

17You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, nor any of your vows which you vow, nor your free will offerings, nor the wave offering of your hand;Cross-references: Lev 27:30 · Num 18:21 · Deut 12:6 · Deut 12:11 · Deut 12:26 · Deut 14:22 · +2 more

18but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates. You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God in all that you put your hand to.Cross-references: Deut 12:5 · Deut 12:7 · Deut 12:11 · Deut 12:19 · Deut 14:23 · Deut 15:20 · +9 more

19Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.Cross-references: Deut 14:27 · 2Chr 11:13 · 2Chr 31:4 · Neh 10:34 · 1Cor 9:10

20When Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has promised you, and you say, “I want to eat meat,” because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat, after all the desire of your soul.Cross-references: Gen 15:18 · Gen 28:14 · Gen 31:30 · Ex 23:31 · Ex 34:24 · Num 11:4 · +17 more

21If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to put his name is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul.Cross-references: Ex 20:24 · Deut 12:5 · Deut 12:11 · Deut 12:15 · Deut 14:23 · Deut 16:6 · +5 more

22Even as the gazelle and as the deer is eaten, so you shall eat of it. The unclean and the clean may eat of it alike.Cross-references: Deut 12:15

23Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the meat.Cross-references: Gen 9:4 · Lev 3:16 · Lev 17:11 · Lev 17:13 · Deut 12:16 · Matt 20:28 · +1 more

24You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.Cross-references: Deut 12:16 · Deut 15:23

25You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes.Cross-references: Ex 15:26 · Deut 4:40 · Deut 5:16 · Deut 6:18 · Deut 12:28 · Deut 13:18 · +6 more

26Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose.Cross-references: Gen 28:20 · Lev 22:18 · Num 5:9 · Num 18:19 · Deut 12:6 · Deut 12:11 · +4 more

27You shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on Yahweh your God’s altar. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on Yahweh your God’s altar, and you shall eat the meat.Cross-references: Lev 1:5 · Lev 1:9 · Lev 1:13 · Lev 4:30 · Lev 17:11

28Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in Yahweh your God’s eyes.Cross-references: Ex 34:11 · Lev 19:37 · Deut 4:40 · Deut 12:25 · Deut 24:8 · 2Chr 7:17 · +6 more

29When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations from before you where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land,Cross-references: Ex 23:23 · Deut 9:3 · Deut 19:1 · Josh 23:4 · Ps 78:55

30be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”Cross-references: Ex 23:31 · Lev 18:3 · Num 33:52 · Deut 7:16 · Judg 2:2 · 2Ki 17:15 · +7 more

31You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, they have done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.Cross-references: Ex 23:2 · Lev 18:3 · Lev 18:21 · Lev 18:26 · Lev 20:2 · Deut 9:5 · +11 more

32Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.Cross-references: Deut 4:2 · Deut 13:18 · Josh 1:7 · Prov 30:6 · Matt 28:20 · Rev 22:18