1 These are the decrees and the rules which you shall be careful to do in the land which Shema, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall certainly destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall drive out served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 And you shall break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the carved images of their gods, and you shall destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not do so to Shema your God. 5 But you shall seek the place which Shema your God has chosen⁠a out of all your tribes to make his name live there, and you shall come there, 6 and there you shall bring your burned offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and your contributions, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock, 7 and there you shall eat in the presence of Shema your God, and you shall celebrate in everything you put your hands to, you and your households, in which Shema your God has blessed you.

8 You shall not follow all the things that we do here today, each person doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Shema your God gives you. 10 But when you cross the Jordan and live in the land which Shema your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then you shall bring to the place which Shema your God has chosen to make his name live there all that I command you: your burned offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and your contributions, and your freewill offerings, and all your choice vows which you vow to Shema. 12 And you shall celebrate in the presence of Shema your God, you, and your sons, and your daughters, your male slaves, and your female slaves, and the Levite that is within your cities, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.

13 Be careful that you do not offer your burned offerings in every place that you see, 14 but you shall offer your burned offerings in the place which Shema has chosen in one of your tribes, and there you shall do all that I command you. 15 However, you may kill and eat meat within all your cities, as much as your soul desires, according to the blessing of Shema your God which he has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.

17 You may not eat within your cities the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vows which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hands, 18 but you shall eat them in the presence of Shema your God in the place which Shema your God has chosen, you, and your son, and your daughter, your male slave, and your female slave, and the Levite that is within your cities, and you shall celebrate in the presence of Shema your God in everything you put your hands to. 19 Be careful that you do not abandon the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 When Shema your God enlarges your territory as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat as much as your soul desires. 21 If the place which Shema your God has chosen to make his name live there is too far from you, then you shall kill animals from your herd and your flock which Shema has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your cities, as much as your soul desires. 22 Just as the gazelle and as the deer are eaten, so you shall eat of it; the unclean among you and the clean may eat of it alike. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the eyes of Shema.

26 Only you shall take the holy things you have and your vows, and go to the place which Shema has chosen. 27 And you shall offer your burned offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Shema your God, and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of Shema your God, and you shall eat the flesh. 28 Observe and obey and do all these words which I command you today, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is right and good in the eyes of Shema your God.

29 When Shema your God destroys the nations before you whom you are entering to drive out, and you drive them out and live in their land, 30 be careful that you are not trapped to follow them, after he destroyed them from before you, and that you do not ask about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods?—so that I may do the same.’ 31 You shall not do so to Shema your God, for they have done for their gods all the detestable things that Shema hates, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.