Deuteronomy 12:5–19

⁵But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name^v there for his dwelling.^w To that place you must go; ⁶there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes^x and special gifts, what you have vowed^y to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.^{z 7}There, in the presence^a of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice^b in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

⁸You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,^{c 9}since you have not yet reached the resting place^d and the inheritance^e the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving^f you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest^g from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. ¹¹Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^h—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.^{i 12}And there rejoice^j before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites^k from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance^l of their own. ¹³Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.^{m 14}Offer them only at the place the Lord will chooseⁿ in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

¹⁵Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer,^o according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. ¹⁶But you must not eat the blood;^p pour^q it out on the ground like water.^{r 17}You must not eat in your own towns the tithe^s of your grain and new wine and olive oil,^t or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give,^u or your freewill offerings or special gifts.^{v 18}Instead, you are to eat^w them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose^x—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice^y before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. ¹⁹Be careful not to neglect the Levites^z as long as you live in your land.^a