8. You must not do like we are doing here today, with everyone doing what seems best to him,
9. for you have not yet come to the final stop and inheritance the Lord your God is giving you.
10. When you do go across the Jordan River and settle in the land he is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety.
11. Then you must come to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing everything I am commanding you – your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, and all your choice votive offerings which you devote to him.
12. You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God, along with your sons, daughters, male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages (since they have no allotment or inheritance with you).
13. Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish,
14. for you may do so only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas – there you may do everything I am commanding you.
15. On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the Lord your God blesses you in all your villages. Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, whether it is a gazelle or an ibex.
16. However, you must not eat blood – pour it out on the ground like water.
17. You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings.
18. Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.
19. Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.
20. When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,” you may do so as you wish.
21. If the place he chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages just as you wish.
22. Like you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them.
23. However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself – you must not eat the life with the meat!
24. You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water.
25. You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.