Δευτερονόμιον 12
1 καὶ ταῦτα τὰ προστάγματα καὶ αἱ κρίσεις ἃς φυλάξετε τοῦ ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἧς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν δίδωσιν ὑμῖν ἐν κλήρῳ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἃς ὑμεῖς ζῆτε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
“(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.
2 ἀπωλείᾳ ἀπολεῖτε πάντας τοὺς τόπους ἐν οἷς ἐλάτρευσαν ἐκεῖ τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν οὓς ὑμεῖς κληρονομεῖτε αὐτούς ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων τῶν ὑψηλῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θινῶν καὶ ὑποκάτω δένδρου δασέος
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.
3 καὶ κατασκάψετε τοὺς βωμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ συντρίψετε τὰς στήλας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἄλση αὐτῶν ἐκκόψετε καὶ τὰ γλυπτὰ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν κατακαύσετε πυρί καὶ ἀπολεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου
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.
4 οὐ ποιήσετε οὕτως κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ὑμῶν
“Do not worship Yahweh like [the people in Canaan worship their gods].
5 ἀλλ’ ἢ εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐν μιᾷ τῶν φυλῶν ὑμῶν ἐπονομάσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ ἐπικληθῆναι καὶ ἐκζητήσετε καὶ εἰσελεύσεσθε ἐκεῖ
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.
6 καὶ οἴσετε ἐκεῖ τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ θυσιάσματα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ ἑκούσια ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν βοῶν ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν προβάτων ὑμῶν
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.
7 καὶ φάγεσθε ἐκεῖ ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν καὶ εὐφρανθήσεσθε ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οὗ ἂν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιβάλητε ὑμεῖς καὶ οἱ οἶκοι ὑμῶν καθότι εὐλόγησέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου
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.
8 οὐ ποιήσετε πάντα ἃ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν ὧδε σήμερον ἕκαστος τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ
“[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,
9 οὐ γὰρ ἥκατε ἕως τοῦ νῦν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν καὶ εἰς τὴν κληρονομίαν ἣν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν δίδωσιν ὑμῖν
because you have not yet arrived in the land which Yahweh is giving to you, where you will be able to live peacefully.
10 καὶ διαβήσεσθε τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ κατοικήσετε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἧς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν κατακληρονομεῖ ὑμῖν καὶ καταπαύσει ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν τῶν κύκλῳ καὶ κατοικήσετε μετὰ ἀσφαλείας
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.
11 καὶ ἔσται ὁ τόπος ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ ἐκεῖ οἴσετε πάντα ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν σήμερον τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ θυσιάσματα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ ἐπιδέκατα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ δόματα ὑμῶν καὶ πᾶν ἐκλεκτὸν τῶν δώρων ὑμῶν ὅσα ἐὰν εὔξησθε τῷ θεῷ ὑμῶν
“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.
12 καὶ εὐφρανθήσεσθε ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν ὑμεῖς καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν οἱ παῖδες ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ παιδίσκαι ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ Λευίτης ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν πυλῶν ὑμῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ μερὶς οὐδὲ κλῆρος μεθ’ ὑμῶν
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.
13 πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἀνενέγκῃς τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματά σου ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ οὗ ἐὰν ἴδῃς
Be sure that you do not offer sacrifices anywhere you want to.
14 ἀλλ’ ἢ εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου αὐτὸν ἐν μιᾷ τῶν φυλῶν σου ἐκεῖ ἀνοίσεις τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματά σου καὶ ἐκεῖ ποιήσεις πάντα ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον
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].
15 ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐν πάσῃ ἐπιθυμίᾳ σου θύσεις καὶ φάγῃ κρέα κατὰ τὴν εὐλογίαν κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ἣν ἔδωκέν σοι ἐν πάσῃ πόλει ὁ ἀκάθαρτος ἐν σοὶ καὶ ὁ καθαρὸς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ φάγεται αὐτὸ ὡς δορκάδα ἢ ἔλαφον
“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.
16 πλὴν τὸ αἷμα οὐ φάγεσθε ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχεεῖτε αὐτὸ ὡς ὕδωρ
But you must not eat the blood [of any animals]; you must let the blood drain onto the ground [before you cook the meat].
17 οὐ δυνήσῃ φαγεῖν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσίν σου τὸ ἐπιδέκατον τοῦ σίτου σου καὶ τοῦ οἴνου σου καὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου σου τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν βοῶν σου καὶ τῶν προβάτων σου καὶ πάσας εὐχάς ὅσας ἂν εὔξησθε καὶ τὰς ὁμολογίας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν
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.
18 ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου φάγῃ αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου αὐτῷ σὺ καὶ ὁ υἱός σου καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ σου ὁ παῖς σου καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη σου καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος ὁ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ὑμῶν καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ πάντα οὗ ἂν ἐπιβάλῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου
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.
19 πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς τὸν Λευίτην πάντα τὸν χρόνον ὅσον ἐὰν ζῇς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Be sure that you take care of the descendants of Levi all during the time that you live in your land.
20 ἐὰν δὲ ἐμπλατύνῃ κύριος ὁ θεός σου τὰ ὅριά σου καθάπερ ἐλάλησέν σοι καὶ ἐρεῖς φάγομαι κρέα ἐὰν ἐπιθυμήσῃ ἡ ψυχή σου ὥστε φαγεῖν κρέα ἐν πάσῃ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς σου φάγῃ κρέα
“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.
21 ἐὰν δὲ μακρότερον ἀπέχῃ σου ὁ τόπος ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ καὶ θύσεις ἀπὸ τῶν βοῶν σου καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων σου ὧν ἂν δῷ ὁ θεός σοι ὃν τρόπον ἐνετειλάμην σοι καὶ φάγῃ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσίν σου κατὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ψυχῆς σου
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.
22 ὡς ἔσθεται ἡ δορκὰς καὶ ἡ ἔλαφος οὕτως φάγῃ αὐτό ὁ ἀκάθαρτος ἐν σοὶ καὶ ὁ καθαρὸς ὡσαύτως ἔδεται
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.
23 πρόσεχε ἰσχυρῶς τοῦ μὴ φαγεῖν αἷμα ὅτι τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ψυχή οὐ βρωθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ μετὰ τῶν κρεῶν
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.
24 οὐ φάγεσθε ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχεεῖτε αὐτὸ ὡς ὕδωρ
Do not eat the blood; instead, let it drain onto the ground.
25 οὐ φάγῃ αὐτό ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς σου μετὰ σέ ἐὰν ποιήσῃς τὸ καλὸν καὶ τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου
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.
26 πλὴν τὰ ἅγιά σου ἐὰν γένηταί σοι καὶ τὰς εὐχάς σου λαβὼν ἥξεις εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ
“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.
27 καὶ ποιήσεις τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματά σου τὰ κρέα ἀνοίσεις ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου τὸ δὲ αἷμα τῶν θυσιῶν σου προσχεεῖς πρὸς τὴν βάσιν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου τὰ δὲ κρέα φάγῃ
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.
28 φυλάσσου καὶ ἄκουε καὶ ποιήσεις πάντας τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς σου δῑ αἰῶνος ἐὰν ποιήσῃς τὸ καλὸν καὶ τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου
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.
29 ἐὰν δὲ ἐξολεθρεύσῃ κύριος ὁ θεός σου τὰ ἔθνη εἰς οὓς σὺ εἰσπορεύῃ ἐκεῖ κληρονομῆσαι τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου σου καὶ κατακληρονομήσῃς αὐτοὺς καὶ κατοικήσῃς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν
“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.
30 πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἐκζητήσῃς ἐπακολουθῆσαι αὐτοῖς μετὰ τὸ ἐξολεθρευθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου σου οὐ μὴ ἐκζητήσῃς τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν λέγων πῶς ποιοῦσιν τὰ ἔθνη ταῦτα τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν ποιήσω κἀγώ
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.’
31 οὐ ποιήσεις οὕτως κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου τὰ γὰρ βδελύγματα ἃ κύριος ἐμίσησεν ἐποίησαν τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν ὅτι τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν κατακαίουσιν ἐν πυρὶ τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν
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].
32 πᾶν ῥῆμα ὃ ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον τοῦτο φυλάξῃ ποιεῖν οὐ προσθήσεις ἐπ’ αὐτὸ οὐδὲ ἀφελεῖς ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ
“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.”
