1 ` These the statutes and the judgments which ye observe to do in the land which Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath given to thee to possess it, all the days that ye are living on the ground:

“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.

2 y e do utterly destroy all the places where the nations which ye are dispossessing served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the heights, and under every green tree;

Be 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.

3 a nd ye have broken down their altars, and shivered their standing pillars, and their shrines ye burn with fire, and graven images of their gods ye cut down, and have destroyed their name out of that place.

Break 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.

4 ` Ye do not do so to Jehovah your God;

But do not act like this toward the Lord your God.

5 b ut unto the place which Jehovah your God doth choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, to His tabernacle ye seek, and thou hast entered thither,

Look 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.

6 a nd hast brought in thither your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and your vows, and your free-will offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock;

Bring 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.

7 a nd ye have eaten there before Jehovah your God, and have rejoiced in every putting forth of your hand, ye and your households, with which Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee.

You 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.

8 ` Ye do not do according to all that we are doing here to-day, each anything that is right in his own eyes,

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

9 f or ye have not come in hitherto unto the rest, and unto the inheritance, which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee;

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

10 a nd ye have passed over the Jordan, and have dwelt in the land which Jehovah your God is causing you to inherit, and He hath given rest to you from all your enemies round about, and ye have dwelt confidently:

You 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.

11 ` And it hath been, the place on which Jehovah your God doth fix to cause His name to tabernacle there, thither ye bring in all that which I am commanding you, your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all the choice of your vows which ye vow to Jehovah;

Then 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.

12 a nd ye have rejoiced before Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your handmaids, and the Levite who within your gates, for he hath no part and inheritance with you.

Be 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.

13 ` Take heed to thee, lest thou cause thy burnt-offerings to ascend in any place which thou seest,

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

14 e xcept in the place which Jehovah doth choose in one of thy tribes, there thou dost cause thy burnt-offerings to ascend, and there thou dost do all that which I am commanding thee.

But 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.

15 ` Only, with all the desire of thy soul thou dost sacrifice, and hast eaten flesh according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which He hath given to thee, in all thy gates; the unclean and the clean do eat it, as of the roe, and as of the hart.

“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.

16 ` Only, the blood ye do not eat -- on the earth thou dost pour it as water;

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

17 t hou art not able to eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, and of thy new wine, and thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock, and any of thy vows which thou vowest, and thy free-will offerings, and heave-offering of thy hand;

You 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.

18 b ut before Jehovah thy God thou dost eat it, in the place which Jehovah thy God doth fix on, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and the Levite who within thy gates, and thou hast rejoiced before Jehovah thy God in every putting forth of thy hand;

But 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.

19 t ake heed to thee lest thou forsake the Levite all thy days on thy ground.

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

20 ` When Jehovah thy God doth enlarge thy border, as He hath spoken to thee, and thou hast said, Let me eat flesh -- for thy soul desireth to eat flesh -- of all the desire of thy soul thou dost eat flesh.

“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.

21 ` When the place is far from thee which Jehovah thy God doth choose to put His name there, then thou hast sacrificed of thy herd and of thy flock which Jehovah hath given to thee, as I have commanded thee, and hast eaten within thy gates, of all the desire of thy soul;

If 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.

22 o nly, as the roe and the hart is eaten, so dost thou eat it; the unclean and the clean doth alike eat it.

You will eat it just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten. Both the clean and unclean may eat of it.

23 ` Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood the life, and thou dost not eat the life with the flesh;

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

24 t hou dost not eat it, on the earth thou dost pour it as water;

Do not eat it, but pour it out on the ground like water.

25 t hou dost not eat it, in order that it may be well with thee, and with thy sons after thee, when thou dost that which right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Do 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.

26 ` Only, thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou dost take up, and hast gone in unto the place which Jehovah doth choose,

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

27 a nd thou hast made thy burnt-offerings -- the flesh and the blood -- on the altar of Jehovah thy God; and the blood of thy sacrifices is poured out by the altar of Jehovah thy God, and the flesh thou dost eat.

Give 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.

28 O bserve, and thou hast obeyed all these words which I am commanding thee, in order that it may be well with thee and with thy sons after thee -- to the age, when thou dost that which good and right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.

Be 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

29 ` When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations -- whither thou art going in to possess them -- from thy presence, and thou hast possessed them, and hast dwelt in their land --

“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.

30 t ake heed to thee, lest thou be snared after them, after their being destroyed out of thy presence, and lest thou enquire about their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods, and I do so -- even I?

But 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?’

31 ` Thou dost not do so to Jehovah thy God; for every abomination of Jehovah which He is hating they have done to their gods, for even their sons and their daughters they burn with fire to their gods.

Do 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.

32 T he whole thing which I am commanding you -- it ye observe to do; thou dost not add unto it, nor diminish from it.

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