The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Deuteronomy 12

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Deuteronomy chapter 12 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “These are the statutes and the ordinances, which ye shall observe to do in the land which HaShem, the G-d of thy fathers, hath given thee…” — the complete text of all 31 verses is below, free to read online.

1These are the statutes and the ordinances, which ye shall observe to do in the land which HaShem, the G-d of thy fathers, hath given thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

2Ye shall surely destroy all the places, wherein the nations that ye are to dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every leafy tree.

3And ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and ye shall destroy their name out of that place.

4Ye shall not do so unto HaShem your G-d.

5But unto the place which HaShem your G-d shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come;

6and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock;

7and there ye shall eat before HaShem your G-d, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein HaShem thy G-d hath blessed thee.

8Ye shall not do after all that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes;

9for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which HaShem your G-d giveth thee.

10But when ye go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which HaShem your G-d causeth you to inherit, and He giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

11then it shall come to pass that the place which HaShem your G-d shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto HaShem.

12And ye shall rejoice before HaShem your G-d, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no portion nor inheritance with you.

13Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest;

14but in the place which HaShem shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

15Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh within all thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul, according to the blessing of HaShem thy G-d which He hath given thee; the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart.

16Only ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.

17Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the offering of thy hand;

18but thou shalt eat them before HaShem thy G-d in the place which HaShem thy G-d shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before HaShem thy G-d in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.

19Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon thy land.

20When HaShem thy G-d shall enlarge thy border, as He hath promised thee, and thou shalt say: 'I will eat flesh', because thy soul desireth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul.

21If the place which HaShem thy G-d shall choose to put His name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which HaShem hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat within thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul.

22Howbeit as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat thereof; the unclean and the clean may eat thereof alike.

23Only be stedfast in not eating the blood; for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh.

24Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.

25Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of HaShem.

26Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which HaShem shall choose;

27and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of HaShem thy G-d; and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out against the altar of HaShem thy G-d, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

28Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the eyes of HaShem thy G-d.

29When HaShem thy G-d shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest in to dispossess them, and thou dispossessest them, and dwellest in their land;

30take heed to thyself that thou be not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying: 'How used these nations to serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.'

31Thou shalt not do so unto HaShem thy G-d; for every abomination to HaShem, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.

31 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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