Deuteronomy 12:1–14

Detailed Stipulations: Purity and Unity

12“These are the rules and the regulations that you must diligently observe^a in the land that Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,^b has given to you to take possession of it, during all the days that you are living on the land.

²You must completely demolish all of the places there where they served their gods, that is, the nations whom you are about to dispossess, on the high mountains, and on the hills and under each leafy green tree.^{c 3}And you shall break down their altars, and you shall smash their stone pillars, and their Asherah poles you must burn with fire, and the images of their gods you shall hew down, and you shall blot out their names from that place. ⁴You shall not worship Yahweh your God like this. ⁵But only^d to the place that Yahweh your God will choose from all of your tribes to place his name there as his dwelling shall you seek, and there you shall go. ⁶And you shall bring there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and your donations^e and your votive gifts and your freewill offerings and the firstling of your herd and your flock. ⁷And you shall eat there before^f Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all your endeavors,^g you and your family in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.

⁸“You must not do just as we are doing here today,^h each according to all that is right in his eyes.^{i 9}For you have not come up to now to the resting place and to the inheritance that Yahweh your God is giving to you. ¹⁰But you will cross the Jordan, and you will settle in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give rest to you from all your enemies from all around, and you will live securely, ¹¹and then^j at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, to let his name dwell there, there you shall bring all the things I am commanding you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations,^k and all of the choice things, your votive gifts that you vow to Yahweh. ¹²And you shall rejoice before^l Yahweh your God, you and your sons and your daughters and your slaves and your slave women and the Levite who is in your towns,^m because there is not for him a plot of ground and an inheritance with you.

¹³“Take care for yourself so that you do not offer your burnt offerings at just any place that you happen to see, ¹⁴but onlyⁿ at the place that Yahweh will choose among one of your tribes; there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all the things that I am commanding you.