1 “ These are the Laws you should be careful to obey in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you for your own as long as you live on the earth.

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 it, all the days that you live on the earth.

2 B e sure to destroy all the places of worship of the nations whose place you are taking. Destroy them on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

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 B reak down their altars and crush their pillars of worship. Burn their wooden female gods of worship named Asherim with fire. Cut down the objects made to look like their gods. And destroy their name from that place.

You shall break down their altars, and 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 B ut do not act like this toward the Lord your God.

You shall not do so to Yahweh your God.

5 L ook for the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your family groups. There He will make His name known, and make His home there, and there you will come.

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 there you shall come.

6 B ring to this place your burnt gifts, your gifts of worship, the tenth part of what you receive, the gifts of your hands, your promises, your free-will gifts, and the first-born of your cattle and your flock.

There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

7 Y ou and those of your house will eat there before the Lord your God, and have joy in all that you do, in which the Lord your God has brought good to you.

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 Y ou will not do at all the things we are doing here today, for every man is doing whatever is right in his own eyes.

You shall not do after all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes;

9 F or you have not yet come to the resting place and the land the Lord your God is giving you.

for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Yahweh your God gives you.

10 Y ou will cross the Jordan and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you. He will give you rest from all those around you who hate you, so you will be safe.

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 T hen bring all I tell you to the place where the Lord your God will choose to make His name known. Bring your burnt gifts, your gifts of worship, the tenth part of what you receive, the gifts of your hands, and all the special gifts that you promised to the Lord.

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 B e full of joy before the Lord your God, you and your sons and daughters, your men and women servants, and the Levite within your town who has no share of their gift.

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 B e careful that you do not give your burnt gifts in just any place you see.

Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;

14 B ut give your burnt gifts in the place which the Lord chooses in the land where your families live. There you should do all that I tell you.

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.

15 “ But you may kill and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you want, as the Lord your God has given you His good gifts. Both the clean and the unclean may eat of it, as you would of the gazelle and the deer.

Notwithstanding, you may kill and eat flesh 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 as of the deer.

16 O nly do not eat the blood. You are to pour it out on the ground like water.

Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.

17 Y ou are not allowed to eat within your towns the tenth part of your grain, or new wine, or oil, or the first-born of your cattle or flock, or any of your promised gifts, or your free-will gifts, or the gifts of your hands.

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 freewill offerings, nor the wave offering of your hand;

18 B ut you should eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, your men and women servants, and the Levite who is within your towns. Be full of joy before the Lord your God in everything you do.

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 B e careful that you do not stop caring for the Levites as long as you live in your land.

Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 “ The Lord your God will give you more land as He has promised you. And when you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you want to eat meat, then you may eat as much meat as you want.

When Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has promised you, and you shall 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 I f the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may kill from your cattle or flock which the Lord has given you, as I have told you, and you may eat within your towns whatever you want.

If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put his name there, 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 Y ou will eat it just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten. Both the clean and unclean may eat of it.

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 O nly be sure not to eat the blood. For the blood is the life. You must not eat the life with the flesh.

Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the flesh.

24 D o not eat it, but pour it out on the ground like water.

You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.

25 D o not eat it, so it may go well with you and your children after you. For you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes.

26 T ake your holy things which you may have and all the special gifts you promised to give to the place which the Lord chooses.

Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose.

27 G ive your burnt gifts, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your gifts will be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God. And you will eat the flesh.

You shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Yahweh your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of Yahweh your God; and you shall eat the flesh.

28 B e careful to listen to all these words I am telling you. Then it will go well with you and your children after you forever. For you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God. Israel to Watch out for False Gods

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.

29 “ The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations whose land you will take. You will take their place and live in their land.

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 B ut be careful that you are not fooled into following them, after they are destroyed before you. Do not ask about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods so that I may do the same?’

be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after that 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 D o not act this way toward the Lord your God. For they have done for their gods every sinful act which the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.

You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

32 “ Be careful to do whatever I tell you. Do not add to it or take away from it.

Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.