Deuteronomy 12
Big idea: The Canaanite pattern was a shrine on every high hill and under every green tree. Deuteronomy's answer is not a better version of that but a refusal of it: destroy all those places, and worship instead at the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there. The reason is stated bluntly — you shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes. Two concessions soften the practical burden: ordinary meat may be slaughtered and eaten anywhere (only never the blood), and if the chosen place is too far, the tithe may be converted to money and spent there. And the joy is commanded as often as the restriction: you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God — you, your household, and the Levite within your gates.
Chapter 12 centralises worship in one place. Chapter 13 guards it against the most persuasive threats — a prophet whose sign comes true, and a family member you love.
12:1–14 — The place which Yahweh shall choose
These are the statutes you shall observe in the land Yahweh has given you. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations served their gods — on the high mountains, on the hills, under every green tree. Break down their altars, dash their pillars, burn their Asherah poles, cut down their images, destroy their name out of that place. You shall not do so to Yahweh your God. But 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 come there. Bring your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, wave offerings, vows, freewill offerings and the firstborn of your herd and flock there. There you shall eat before Yahweh your God, and rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households. You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes — for you haven't yet come to the rest and the inheritance. But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land, and he gives you rest from all your enemies so that you dwell in safety, then to the place he chooses to cause his name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command. And you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God — you, your sons and daughters, your servants, and the Levite within your gates, because he has no portion with you. Be careful that you don't offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see, but in the place which Yahweh chooses.
1 These 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. 2 You 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. 3 You 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. 4 You shall not do so to Yahweh your God. 5 But 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. 6 You 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. 7 There 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. 8 You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Yahweh your God gives you. 10 But 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, 11 then 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. 12 You 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. 13 Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but 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.
12:15–28 — Eat meat where you live — but never the blood
Yet you may kill and eat meat within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to Yahweh your God's blessing; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer. Only you shall not eat the blood; pour it out on the earth like water. You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, wine or oil, nor the firstborn of your herd or flock, nor your vows or freewill offerings — but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place he chooses: you, your children, your servants, and the Levite within your gates. Be careful that you don't forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. When Yahweh enlarges your border and you say, I want to eat meat, you may eat it after all the desire of your soul. If the place he chooses is too far from you, then kill of your herd and flock as I have commanded, and eat within your gates — even as the gazelle and the deer is eaten. Only be sure you don't eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you shall not eat the life with the meat. Pour it out on the earth like water, that it may go well with you and your children after you. Only your holy things and your vows you shall take to the place he chooses, offering burnt offerings on his altar; the blood poured out on the altar, and the meat eaten.
15 Yet 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. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 You 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; 18 but 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. 19 Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. 20 When 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. 21 If 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. 22 Even 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. 23 Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You 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. 26 Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose. 27 You 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. 28 Observe 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.
12:29–32 — Don't ask how these nations serve their gods
When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations before you and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed — and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, how do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise. You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh which he hates, they have done to their gods — they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
29 When 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, 30 be 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.” 31 You 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. 32 Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).