The Central Sanctuary
1These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to obey as long as you live in the land the
2You must by all means destroy all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree.
3You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, burn up their sacred Asherah poles, and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place.
4You must not worship the
5But you must seek only the place he chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, and you must go there.
6And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
7Both you and your families must feast there before the
8You must not do like we are doing here today, with everyone doing what seems best to him,
9for you have not yet come to the final stop and inheritance the
10When you do go across the Jordan River and settle in the land he is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety.
11Then you must come to the place the
12You shall rejoice in the presence of the
13Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish,
14for you may do so only in the place the
Regulations for Profane Slaughter
15On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the
16However, you must not eat blood – pour it out on the ground like water.
17You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings.
18Only in the presence of the
19Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.
The Sanctity of Blood
20When the
21If the place he chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages just as you wish.
22Like you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them.
23However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself – you must not eat the life with the meat!
24You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water.
25You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the
26Only the holy things and votive offerings that belong to you, you must pick up and take to the place the
27You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the
28Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the
The Abomination of Pagan Gods
29When the
30After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.”
31You must not worship the
Idolatry and False Prophets
32
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