Worship Only Where the Lord Wants You To
1Here are the rules and laws you must obey. Be careful to obey them in the land the Lord has given you to take as your own. He’s the God of your people who lived long ago. Obey these rules and laws as long as you live in the land. 2You will soon drive the nations out of it. Completely destroy all the places where they worship their gods. Destroy them on the high mountains, on the hills and under every green tree. 3Break down their altars. Smash their sacred stones. Burn up the poles they use to worship the female god named Asherah. Cut down the statues of their gods. Wipe out the names of their gods from those places.
4You must not worship the Lord your God the way those nations worship their gods. 5Instead, go to the special place he will choose from among all your tribes. He will put his Name there. That’s where you must go. 6Take your burnt offerings and sacrifices to that place. Bring your special gifts and a tenth of everything you produce. Take with you what you have promised to give. Bring any other offerings you choose to give. And bring the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. 7You and your families will eat at the place the Lord your God will choose. He will be with you there. You will find joy in everything you have done. That’s because he has blessed you.
8You must not do as we’re doing here today. All of us are doing only what we think is right. 9That’s because you haven’t yet reached the place the Lord is giving you. Your God will give you peace and rest there. 10But first you will go across the Jordan River. You will settle in the land he’s giving you. It will belong to you as your share. He will give you peace and rest from all your enemies around you. You will live in safety. 11The Lord your God will choose a special place. He will put his Name there. That’s where you must bring everything I command you to bring. That includes your burnt offerings and sacrifices. It includes your special gifts and a tenth of everything you produce. It also includes all the things of value that you promised to give to the Lord. 12Be filled with joy there in the sight of the Lord your God. Your children should also be joyful. So should your male and female servants. And so should the Levites from your towns. The Levites won’t receive any part of the land as their share. 13Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you want to. 14Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes. There you must obey everything I command you.
15But you can kill your animals in any of your towns. You can eat as much of the meat as you want to. You can eat it as if it were antelope or deer meat. That is part of the blessing the Lord your God is giving you. Those who are “clean” and those who are not can eat it. 16But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. 17Here are the things you must not eat in your own towns. You must not eat the tenth part of your grain, olive oil and fresh wine. It belongs to the Lord. You must not eat the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. Don’t eat anything you have promised to give. Don’t eat any offerings you have chosen to give. And you must not eat any of your special gifts. 18Instead, you must eat all those things in the sight of the Lord your God. Do it at the place he will choose. You, your children, your male and female servants and the Levites from your towns can eat them. Be filled with joy in the sight of the Lord your God. Be joyful in everything you do. 19Don’t forget to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land.
20The Lord your God will increase your territory, just as he has promised you. When he does, you might get hungry for meat. You might say, “I’d really like some meat.” Then you can eat as much of it as you want to. 21The Lord your God will choose a special place. He will put his Name there. But suppose that place is too far away from you. Then you can kill animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you. Do it just as I have commanded you. In your own towns you can eat as much of the meat as you want to. 22Eat it as you would eat antelope or deer meat. Those who are “clean” and those who are not can eat it. 23But be sure you don’t eat meat that still has blood in it. The blood is the animal’s life. So you must not eat the life along with the meat. 24You must not eat the blood. Pour it out on the ground like water. 25Don’t eat it. Then things will go well with you and your children after you. You will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
26But go to the place the Lord will choose. Take with you the things you have set apart for him. Bring what you have promised to give him. 27Sacrifice your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. Offer the meat and the blood there. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured out beside his altar. But you can eat the meat. 28Make sure you obey all the rules I’m giving you. Then things will always go well with you and your children after you. That’s because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
29You are about to attack the land and take it over as your own. When you do, the Lord your God will destroy the nations who live there. He will do it to make room for you. You will drive them out. You will settle in their land. 30They will be destroyed to make room for you. But when they are destroyed, be careful. Don’t be trapped. Don’t ask questions about their gods. Don’t say, “How do these nations serve their gods? We’ll do it in the same way.” 31You must not worship the Lord your God the way they worship their gods. When they worship, they do all kinds of evil things the Lord hates. They even burn up their children in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
32Be sure you do everything I am commanding you to do. Do not add anything to my commands. And do not take anything away from them.
El lugar único de adoración
1»Estos son los preceptos y las normas que tendréis cuidado de poner en práctica mientras viváis en la tierra que el Señor y Dios de vuestros antepasados os ha dado en posesión: 2Destruiréis por completo todos los lugares donde adoran a sus dioses las naciones que vosotros vais a desposeer, es decir, en las montañas, en las colinas y debajo de todo árbol frondoso.
3»Demoleréis sus altares, haréis pedazos sus piedras sagradas, les prenderéis fuego a sus imágenes de la diosa Aserá, derribaréis sus ídolos y borraréis de esos lugares los nombres de sus dioses.
4»No haréis lo mismo con el Señor vuestro Dios, 5sino que iréis y lo buscaréis en el lugar donde, de entre todas vuestras tribus, él decida habitar.12:5 habitar. Lit. poner su nombre para habitar. 6Allí llevaréis vosotros vuestros holocaustos, sacrificios, diezmos, contribuciones, promesas, ofrendas voluntarias, y los primogénitos de vuestros ganados y rebaños. 7Allí, en la presencia del Señor vuestro Dios, vosotros y vuestras familias comeréis y os regocijaréis por los logros de vuestro trabajo, porque el Señor vuestro Dios os habrá bendecido.
8»Vosotros no haréis allí lo que ahora hacemos aquí, donde cada uno hace lo que mejor le parece, 9pues todavía no habéis entrado en el reposo ni en la herencia que os da el Señor vuestro Dios. 10Pero vosotros cruzaréis el río Jordán y viviréis en la tierra que el Señor vuestro Dios os da en herencia; él os librará de vuestros enemigos que os rodean, y viviréis seguros. 11Y al lugar donde el Señor vuestro Dios decida habitar llevaréis todo lo que os he ordenado: holocaustos, sacrificios, diezmos, contribuciones, y las ofrendas más selectas que le hayáis prometido al Señor. 12Y os regocijaréis en la presencia del Señor vuestro Dios, junto con vuestros hijos e hijas, con vuestros esclavos y esclavas, y con los levitas que vivan en vuestras ciudades, pues ellos no tendrán ninguna posesión ni herencia.
13»Cuando ofrezcas holocaustos, cuídate de no hacerlo en el lugar que te plazca. 14Los ofrecerás solo en el lugar que el Señor elija en una de tus tribus, y allí harás todo lo que yo te ordeno. 15Sin embargo, siempre que lo desees podrás matar animales y comer su carne en cualquiera de tus ciudades, según el Señor tu Dios te haya bendecido. Podrás comerla, estés o no ritualmente puro, como si se tratara de carne de gacela o de ciervo. 16Pero no deberás comer la sangre, sino que la derramarás en la tierra como si fuera agua.
17»No podrás comer en tus ciudades el diezmo de tu trigo, de tu vino o de tu aceite, ni los primogénitos de tus ganados y de tus rebaños, ni lo que hayas prometido dar, ni tus ofrendas voluntarias ni tus contribuciones. 18Disfrutarás de ellos en presencia del Señor tu Dios, en el lugar que él elija. Así también lo harán tu hijo y tu hija, tu esclavo y tu esclava, y los levitas que vivan en tus ciudades, y te alegrarás ante el Señor tu Dios por los logros de tu trabajo. 19Cuídate de no abandonar al levita mientras vivas en tu tierra.
20»Cuando el Señor tu Dios haya extendido tu territorio, según te lo ha prometido, y digas: “¡Cómo quisiera comer carne!”, podrás comer toda la carne que quieras. 21Si queda demasiado lejos el lugar donde el Señor tu Dios decida habitar,12:21 habitar. Lit. poner su nombre. podrás sacrificar animales de tus ganados y rebaños, según mis instrucciones, y comer en tus pueblos todo lo que quieras. 22Come de su carne como si fuera carne de gacela o de ciervo. Estés o no ritualmente puro, podrás comerla. 23Pero asegúrate de no comer la sangre, porque la sangre es la vida. No debes comer la vida con la carne. 24En lugar de comerla, derrámala en la tierra como si fuera agua. 25No comas la sangre, para que te vaya bien a ti y a tu descendencia, pues estarás haciendo lo recto a los ojos del Señor.
26»Las cosas que hayas consagrado, y las ofrendas que hayas prometido, prepáralas y llévalas al lugar que el Señor habrá de elegir. 27Tanto la carne como la sangre de tus holocaustos las ofrecerás sobre el altar del Señor tu Dios. Derramarás la sangre sobre el altar, pero podrás comer la carne.
28»Ten cuidado de obedecer todos estos mandamientos que yo te he dado, para que siempre te vaya bien, lo mismo que a tu descendencia. Así habrás hecho lo bueno y lo recto a los ojos del Señor tu Dios.
29»Ante tus propios ojos, el Señor tu Dios exterminará a las naciones que vas a invadir y desposeer. Cuando las hayas expulsado y te hayas establecido en su tierra, 30después de haberlas destruido cuídate de no seguir su ejemplo y caer en la trampa de inquirir acerca de sus dioses. No preguntes: “¿Cómo adoraban estas naciones a sus dioses, para que yo pueda hacer lo mismo?” 31No adorarás de esa manera al Señor tu Dios, porque al Señor le resulta abominable todo lo que ellos hacen para honrar a sus dioses. ¡Hasta quemaban a sus hijos e hijas en el fuego como sacrificios a sus dioses!
32»Cuídate de poner en práctica todo lo que te ordeno, sin añadir ni quitar nada.
