تَثنِيَة 12

١ 1 إِلَيْكُمُ الْفَرَائِضَ وَالأَحْكَامَ الَّتِي عَلَيْكُمْ مُمَارَسَتُهَا فِي الأَرْضِ الَّتِي وَهَبَهَا لَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ آبَائِكُمْ لِتَرِثُوهَا كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِكُمْ عَلَى الأَرْضِ:

“(I will now tell you again/These, [again], are) the rules and regulations that you must faithfully obey in the land that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], is giving to you to occupy. You must obey these laws all the time that you are alive.

٢ 2 دَمِّرُوا جَمِيعَ الأَمَاكِنِ الَّتِي تَرِثُونَهَا، حَيْثُ عَبَدَتِ الأُمَمُ آلِهَتَهَا، سَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْجِبَالِ الشَّامِخَةِ أَمْ عَلَى التِّلالِ أَمْ تَحْتَ كُلِّ شَجَرَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ،

You must destroy all the places where the people-groups that you will expel worship their gods, on the tops of mountains and hills and under big green trees.

٣ 3 وَاهْدِمُوا مَذَابِحَهُمْ، وَحَطِّمُوا أَنْصَابَهُمْ، وَأَحْرِقُوا سَوَارِيَهُمْ. فَتِّتُوا تَمَاثِيلَ آلِهَتِهِمْ وَامْحُوا أَسْمَاءَهُمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمَكَانِ،

You must tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Completely burn the statues of their goddess Asherah in fires, and chop down their wooden idols, in order that no one will ever worship them [MTY] in those places again.

٤ 4 وَلا تُمَارِسُوا أَسَالِيبَهُمْ عِنْدَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ،

“Do not worship Yahweh like [the people in Canaan worship their gods].

٥ 5 بَلِ اطْلُبُوا الْمَكَانَ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ وَسَطَ أَسْبَاطِكُمْ لِيَضَعَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمَهُ، وَيَكُونَ مَقَرَّ سُكْنَاهُ. إِلَيْهِ تَذْهَبُونَ،

Instead, you must go to the place that Yahweh will choose. It will be in the area where one of your tribes will live. That is where you must go to worship Yahweh.

٦ 6 وَتُقَدِّمُونَ مُحْرَقَاتِكُمْ وَذَبَائِحَكُمْ وَعُشُورَكُمْ وَتَقْدِمَاتِكُمْ وَنُذُورَكُمْ وَقَرَابِينَكُمُ الطَّوْعِيَّةَ وَأَبْكَارَ بَقَرِكُمْ وَغَنَمِكُمْ،

That is the place where you must bring your sacrifices that will be completely burned on the altar, and your other sacrifices, (your tithes/ten percent of all of your crops), other offerings that you decide to give, and the firstborn animals from your cattle and sheep.

٧ 7 فَتَأْكُلُونَ هُنَاكَ أَنْتُمْ وَعَائِلاتُكُمْ لَدَى الرَّبِّ، وَتَفْرَحُونَ بِكُلِّ مَا تَمْتَدُّ إِلَيْهِ أَيْدِيكُمْ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ قَدْ بَارَكَكُمْ.

There, in the presence of Yahweh our God, who has [greatly] blessed you, you and your families will eat the good things that you have worked to produce, and you will be happy.

٨ 8 لَا يَصْنَعْ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا يَسْتَحْسِنُهُ كَمَا هُوَ حَادِثٌ الْيَوْمَ،

“[When you are in that land], you must not do some of the things that we have been doing. Until now, you have all been worshiping [Yahweh] the way you wanted to,

٩ 9 لأَنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَدْخُلُوا بَعْدُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ الرَّاحَةِ وَالْمِيرَاثِ الَّذِي يَهَبُهُ لَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ.

because you have not yet arrived in the land which Yahweh is giving to you, where you will be able to live peacefully.

١٠ 10 وَلَكِنْ مَتَى اجْتَزْتُمْ نَهْرَ الأُرْدُنِّ وَاسْتَوْطَنْتُمُ الأَرْضَ الَّتِي وَهَبَهَا لَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ، وَأَرَاحَكُمْ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أَعْدَائِكُمُ الْمُحِيطِينَ بِكُمْ، وَسَكَنْتُمْ آمِنِينَ،

But when you cross the Jordan [River], you will start to live in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you. He will protect you from all your enemies that will surround you, and you will live peacefully/safely.

١١ 11 فَاحْمِلُوا جَمِيعَ مَا أَوْصَيْتُكُمْ بِهِ مِنْ مُحْرَقَاتٍ وَذَبَائِحَ وَعُشُورٍ وَتَقْدِمَاتِ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَقَرَابِينَ طَوْعِيَّةٍ، الَّتِي تُنْذِرُونَهَا لِلرَّبِّ إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ لِيُحِلَّ فِيهِ اسْمَهُ،

“Yahweh will choose one place where he wants you to worship him. That is the place to which you must bring all the offerings that I command you to bring: The sacrifices that must be completely burned [on the altar], your other sacrifices, other offerings that you yourselves decide to give, (your tithes/ten percent of all your crops), and all the special offerings that you will solemnly promise to give to Yahweh.

١٢ 12 وَهُنَاكَ احْتَفِلُوا أَنْتُمْ وَبَنُوكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَعَبِيدُكُمْ وَإِمَاؤُكُمْ وَاللّاوِيُّ الْمُقِيمُ فِي جِوَارِكُمْ، لأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ نَصِيبٌ أَوْ مِيرَاثٌ خَاصٌّ بِهِ.

Rejoice there in the presence of Yahweh, along with your children, your male and female servants, and the descendants of Levi who live in your towns. Do not forget that the descendants of Levi will not have their own land, like you will have.

١٣ 13 إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ تُقَدِّمُوا مُحْرَقَاتِكُمْ فِي أَيِّ مَكَانٍ تَرْغَبُونَ فِيهِ،

Be sure that you do not offer sacrifices anywhere you want to.

١٤ 14 إِنَّمَا تُصْعِدُونَ مُحْرَقَاتِكُمْ وَتُمَارِسُونَ مَا أَوْصَيْتُكُمْ بِهِ فِي الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ فِي أَرْضِ أَحَدِ أَسْبَاطِكُمْ.

You must offer them only in the place that Yahweh will choose for you, in an area that belongs to one of your tribes. That is the only place where he wants you to offer sacrifices that will be completely burned [on the altar], and to do the other things that I am commanding you to do [when you worship him].

١٥ 15 اذْبَحُوا فِي أَيٍّ مِنْ مُدُنِكُمْ أَيًّا مِنَ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ، وَكُلُوا مِنْ لُحُومِهَا بِقَدْرِ مَا تَشَاؤُونَ كَالظَّبْيِ وَالأُيَّلِ حَسَبَ بَرَكَةِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ. يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا الإِنْسَانُ الطَّاهِرُ وَالنَّجِسُ عَلَى حَدٍّ سَوَاءٍ.

“However, you will be permitted to kill and eat the meat of your animals in the places where you live. As often as you want to, you may eat the meat of the animals that Yahweh our God will bless you by giving them to you. Those who have done things that cause them to become unacceptable to God and those who have not done things like that may all eat that meat, just like you would eat the meat of a deer or an antelope.

١٦ 16 وَأَمَّا الدَّمُ فَلا تَأْكُلُوهُ، بَلِ اسْكُبُوهُ عَلَى الأَرْضِ كَمَا تَسْكُبُونَ الْمَاءَ،

But you must not eat the blood [of any animals]; you must let the blood drain onto the ground [before you cook the meat].

١٧ 17 احْذَرُوا أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا فِي مُدُنِكُمْ عُشُورَ قَمْحِكُمْ وَخَمْرِكُمْ وَزَيْتِكُمْ، وَلا أَبْكَارَ بَقَرِكُمْ وَغَنَمِكُمْ، وَلا شَيْئاً مِنْ نُذُورِكُمْ أَوْ قَرَابِينِكُمُ الطَّوْعِيَّةِ وَتَقْدِمَاتِ أَيْدِيكُمْ.

In the places where you live, you must not eat the things that you are offering [to Yahweh]: You must not eat the (tithes/ten percent) of your grain or of your wine, or of your [olive] oil, or the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, or the offerings that you yourselves decide to give to Yahweh, or any other offerings.

١٨ 18 بَلْ تَأْكُلُونَهَا أَنْتُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَعَبِيدُكُمْ وَإِمَاؤُكُمْ وَاللّاوِيُّونَ الْمُقِيمُونَ فِي جِوَارِكُمْ لَدَى الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ فِي الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ، وَتَحْتَفِلُونَ أَمَامَهُ بِكُلِّ مَا تَمْتَلِكُهُ أَيْدِيكُمْ

Instead, you and your children and your male and female servants and the descendants of Levi who live in your towns must go to the place that he has chosen and eat those things there in the presence of Yahweh. And you should rejoice in the presence of Yahweh about everything that you do.

١٩ 19 إِيَّاكُمْ إِهْمَالَ اللّاوِيِّينَ طَوَالَ بَقَائِكُمْ عَلَى أَرْضِكُمْ.

Be sure that you take care of the descendants of Levi all during the time that you live in your land.

٢٠ 20 وَإذَا وَسَّعَ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ حُدُودَ أَرْضِكُمْ كَمَا وَعَدَكُمْ، وَاشْتَهَتْ أَنْفُسُكُمُ اللَّحْمَ، وَقُلْتُمْ: نَوَدُّ أَكْلَ اللَّحْمِ. فَمِنْ كُلِّ مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ أَنْفُسُكُمْ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ كُلُوا.

“When Yahweh our God gives you much more land [than you will have when you first occupy it], which is what he has promised to do, and you say ‘I would like some meat to eat’ because you are craving/wanting some meat, you will be permitted to eat meat whenever you want to.

٢١ 21 وَإذَا كَانَ الْمَوْضِعُ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ لِيَضَعَ فِيهِ اسْمَهُ بَعِيداً عَنْ مَكَانِ سُكْنَى بَعْضِكُمْ، فَاذْبَحُوا مِنْ بَقَرِكُمْ وَغَنَمِكُمُ الَّتِي أَنْعَمَ بِها الرَّبُّ عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَوْصَيْتُكُمْ، وَكُلُوا فِي مُدُنِكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا اشْتَهَتْهُ أَنْفُسُكُمْ

If the place that Yahweh our God chooses to be the place for you to worship him is far [from where you live], you are permitted to kill some of your cattle or sheep that Yahweh has given to you, and you may eat that meat at the places where you live, just like I have told you to do.

٢٢ 22 كُلُوهُ كَمَا يُؤْكَلُ الظَّبْيُ وَالأُيَّلُ. يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ الإِنْسَانُ الطَّاهِرُ وَالنَّجِسُ عَلَى حَدٍّ سَوَاءٍ.

Those who have done things that cause them to become unacceptable to God, and those who have not done things like that, are all permitted to all eat that meat, just like you would eat the meat of a deer or an antelope.

٢٣ 23 لَكِنْ إِيَّاكُمْ وَأَكْلَ الدَّمِ، لأَنَّ الدَّمَ هُوَ النَّفْسُ. فَلا تَأْكُلُوا النَّفْسَ مَعَ اللَّحْمِ.

But be sure that you do not eat the blood [of any animal], because it is the blood that sustains life in living beings, and so you must not eat the life along with the meat.

٢٤ 24 لَا تَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ بَلِ اسْكُبُوهُ عَلَى الأَرْضِ كَمَا يُسْكَبُ الْمَاءُ.

Do not eat the blood; instead, let it drain onto the ground.

٢٥ 25 لَا تَأْكُلُوهُ، لِتَنْعَمُوا أَنْتُمْ وَأَوْلادُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ بِالْخَيْرِ، إِذْ صَنَعْتُمُ الْحَقَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ اللهِ.

If you obey this command and do what Yahweh says is right [for you to do], things will go well for you and for your descendants.

٢٦ 26 أَمَّا مَا تُقَدِّسُونَهُ مِنْ أَشْيَاءَ، وَنُذُورُكُمْ فَتَحْمِلُونَهَا وَتَمْضُونَ إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ

“But the sacred offerings that Yahweh has told you to give and the other offerings that you yourselves decide to give, you must take to the place that Yahweh will choose.

٢٧ 27 فَتُقَدِّمُونَ مُحْرَقَاتِكُمُ، اللَّحْمَ وَالدَّمَ عَلَى مَذْبَحِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ، فَيُسْكَبُ دَمُهَا عَلَى مَذْبَحِ الرَّبِّ. أَمَّا اللَّحْمُ فَتَأْكُلُونَهُ.

You must offer there the sacrifices that will be completely burned [on Yahweh’s altar]. You must also offer there the sacrifices from which you may eat some of meat after you [kill the animals and] drain out the blood and some of it is thrown on the [sides of the] altar.

٢٨ 28 فَاحْفَظُوا وَأَطِيعُوا جَمِيعَ هَذِهِ الْوَصَايَا الَّتِي أَنَا أَوْصِيِكُمْ بِها لِتَتَمَتَّعُوا أَنْتُمْ وَأَوْلادُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ بِالْخَيْرِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ، إِذْ عَمِلْتُمُ الصَّالِحَ وَالْحَقَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ.

Faithfully obey all these things that I have commanded you. If you do that, things will go well forever for you and your descendants, because you will be doing what Yahweh our God says is right [for you to do] and what pleases him.

٢٩ 29 وَمَتَى اسْتَأْصَلَ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكُمُ الأُمَمَ الَّتِي تُوْشِكُونَ عَلَى غَزْوِهِمْ، وَطَرْدِهِمْ، ثُمَّ وَرِثْتُمُوهُمْ وَاسْتَوْطَنْتُمْ فِي أَرْضِهِمْ،

“When you enter the land that you will occupy, as you advance, Yahweh our God will get rid of the people-groups that live there.

٣٠ 30 فَاحْذَرُوا مِنَ الْوُقُوعِ فِي الشَّرَكِ، بِاتِّبَاعِ عِبَادَاتِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ فَنَائِهِمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكُمْ، وَمِنْ مُمَارَسَةِ مَرَاسِيمِ عِبَادَةِ آلِهَتِهِمْ قَائِلِينَ: كَمَا عَبَدَ هَؤُلاءِ الأُمَمُ آلِهَتَهُمْ هَكَذَا نَفْعَلُ نَحْنُ أَيْضاً.

After he does that, be sure that you do not [worship the gods] that they have been worshiping, because if you do that, you will be caught in the same trap [that they were caught in] [MET]. Do not ask anyone about those gods, saying, ‘Tell me how they worshiped their gods, in order that I can [worship them] also.’

٣١ 31 لَا تَصْنَعْ هَكَذَا لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ، لأَنَّهُمْ قَدِ ارْتَكَبُوا فِي عِبَادَةِ آلِهَتِهِمْ كُلَّ مَا يَمْقُتُهُ الرَّبُّ مِنَ الأَرْجَاسِ، إِذْ أَحْرَقُوا بِالنَّارِ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَبَنَاتِهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ آلِهَتِهِمْ،

Do not try to worship Yahweh our God like they have worshiped their gods, because when they worship them, they do disgusting things, things that Yahweh hates. [The worst thing that they do is] that they sacrifice their own children and burn them [on their altars].

٣٢ 32 فَاحْرِصُوا عَلَى طَاعَةِ كُلِّ مَا أُوْصِيكُمْ بِهِ. لَا تَزِيدُوا عَلَيْهِ وَلا تُنْقِصُوا مِنْهُ.

“Be sure to do everything that I have commanded you to do. Do not add anything to these commands, and do not take anything away from them.”