Holman Christian Standard Bible

Deuteronomy 12:18-29 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

18. You must eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God chooses — you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and the Levite who is within your gates. Rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you do,

19. and be careful not to neglect the Levite, as long as you live in your land.

20. “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory as He has promised you, and you say, ‘I want to eat meat’ because you have a strong desire to eat meat, you may eat it whenever you want.

21. If the place where Yahweh your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, you may slaughter any of your herd or flock He has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat it within your gates whenever you want.

22. Indeed, you may eat it as the gazelle and deer are eaten; both the clean and the unclean may eat it.

23. But don’t eat the blood, since the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

24. Do not eat blood; pour it on the ground like water.

25. Do not eat it, so that you and your children after you will prosper, because you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.

26. “But you are to take the holy offerings you have and your vow offerings and go to the place the Lord chooses.

27. Present the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your other sacrifices is to be poured out beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat.

28. Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that you and your children after you may prosper forever, because you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

29. “When the Lord your God annihilates the nations before you, which you are entering to take possession of, and you drive them out and live in their land,