Deuteronomy 12:6-16

6 and ye shall come thither, and offer in that place your burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, the tithes, and first fruits of your hands, and avows, and gifts, and the first engendered things of your oxen, and of (your) sheep. (and ye shall come there, and offer in that place your burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, your tithes, and the first fruits of your hands, and your vows, and gifts, and the first-born males of your oxen, and of your sheep.)
7 And ye and your houses shall eat there in the sight of your Lord God; and ye shall be glad in all things to which ye put the hand, in which your Lord God hath blessed you. (And ye and your households, or your families, shall eat there before the Lord your God; and ye shall be glad in all the things to which ye put your hands, because the Lord your God hath blessed you.)
8 Ye shall not do there those things which we do here today, each man that that seemeth rightful to himself.
9 For unto the time that is now, ye came not to (the) rest, and to [the] possession, which the Lord God shall give to you.
10 Ye shall pass (the) Jordan (Ye shall cross over the Jordan River), and ye shall dwell in the land which your Lord God shall give to you, that ye rest from all (your) enemies about, and that ye dwell without any dread.
11 In the place which your Lord God (shall) choose that his name be therein. Thither ye shall bear all things, which I command to you, burnt sacrifices, and sacrifices, and the tithes, and the first fruits of your hands, and whatever is the best thing in gifts, which ye avow to the Lord.
12 There ye shall eat before your Lord God, ye, and your sons, and daughters, your menservants, and womenservants, and the deacons, that dwell in your cities; for they have none other part and possession among you. (And ye shall eat there before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, your slaves, and your slave-girls, and the Levites who live in your cities, because the Levites have no other portion or possession among you.)
13 Be thou ware lest thou offer thy burnt sacrifices in each place that thou seest, (Be thou careful, lest thou offer thy burnt sacrifices in any place that thou seest,)
14 but in that place which the Lord [shall] choose in one of thy lineages, thou shalt offer sacrifices, and thou shalt do whatever things I command to thee. (but rather, only at that place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, shalt thou offer thy sacrifices, and thou shalt do whatever I command thee.)
15 For if thou wilt eat, and the eating of flesh delighteth thee, slay thou, and eat, by the blessing of thy Lord God, that he hath given to thee in thy cities, whether it is unclean, that is, spotted, either wemmed, and feeble, either clean, and without wem, that is, whole in each member, (that) which is leaveful to be offered, thou shalt eat those, as (of) a capret, and an hart; (But if thou art hungry, and the eating of flesh delighteth thee, kill thou, and eat, whatever he hath given thee, wherever thou may live, with the blessing of the Lord thy God; yea, whether ye be clean, or unclean, ye can eat it, as you would eat the meat of a gazelle, or a deer;)
16 only without eating of [the] blood, which thou shalt shed out as water upon the earth. (but thou shalt not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out like water onto the ground.)

Deuteronomy 12:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 12

In this chapter orders are given to destroy all altars, pillars, groves, and images, made for the worship of idols in the land of Canaan, De 12:1-3 and to bring all sacrifices and holy things unto the place which the Lord should choose for his habitation, and not do as they then did, not being come to their rest, De 12:4-14, flesh for their common food might be killed and eaten in their own houses, provided they did not eat the blood, but poured it out upon the earth, De 12:15-25, tithes, vows, and freewill offerings, were to be eaten in the holy place, De 12:17-19 and burnt offerings to be offered on the altar of the Lord and the blood of them to be poured out upon the altar, De 12:26-28, all which they were carefully to observe, De 12:29, and they are cautioned against idolatry, and inquiring after the manner of it, as practised by the old inhabitants of the land, and introducing their customs into the service of God, De 12:30-32.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.