Deuteronomy 12:5–19

⁵Instead, turn to the place the Lord your God chooses^j from all your tribes to put his name for his dwelling and go there. ⁶You are to bring there your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tenths and personal contributions,^A your vow offerings and freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. ⁷You will eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice with your household in everything you do, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

⁸“You are not to do as we are doing here today; everyone is doing whatever seems right in his own sight.^{k 9}Indeed, you have not yet come into the resting place^l and the inheritance^m the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰When you cross the Jordan and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you to inherit,ⁿ and he gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you live in security, ¹¹then the Lord your God will choose the place to have his name dwell.^o Bring there everything I command you: your burnt offerings, sacrifices, offerings of the tenth, personal contributions,^C and all your choice offerings you vow to the Lord. ¹²You will rejoice^p before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levite who is within your city gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.^{q 13}Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in all the sacred places you see. ¹⁴You must offer your burnt offerings only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribes, and there you must do everything I command you.

SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS TO EAT

¹⁵“But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your city gates,^r according to the blessing the Lord your God has given you. Those who are clean or unclean may eat it, as they would a gazelle or deer, ¹⁶but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.^{s 17}Within your city gates you may not eat the tenth of your grain, new wine, or fresh oil; the firstborn of your herd or flock; any of your vow offerings that you pledge; your freewill offerings; or your personal contributions.^{D 18}You are to 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 city gates. Rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you do, ¹⁹and be careful not to neglect the Levite, as long as you live in your land.