Teutalonome 12

1 “Ko eni ʻae ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni mo e ngaahi fakamaau, ʻaia ke mou tokanga ki ai ʻo fai ʻi he fonua, ʻaia ʻoku foaki kiate koe ke maʻu ia ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻa hoʻomou ngaahi tamai, ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻoku mou moʻui ʻi he funga ʻo māmani.

“(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 Ke mou fakaʻauha ʻaupito ʻae potu kotoa pē, ʻaia naʻe tauhi ʻi ai honau ngaahi ʻotua ʻe he ngaahi puleʻanga te mou ikuna, ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga, pea ki he ngaahi tafungofunga, pea ʻi he lolo ʻakau mata kotoa pē:

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 Pea ke mou holoki hifo honau ngaahi feilaulauʻanga, pea fesiʻi honau ngaahi pou, pea tutu honau ngaahi vaotapu ʻaki ʻae afi; pea ke mou tā hifo honau ngaahi meʻa fakatātā ki honau ngaahi ʻotua, pea fakaʻauha honau ngaahi hingoa mei he potu ko ia.

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 ‌ʻE ʻikai te mou fai pehē kia Sihova ko homou ʻOtua.

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

5 Ka ko e potu ko ia ʻaia ʻe fili ʻe Sihova ko homou ʻOtua mei homou ngaahi faʻahinga kotoa pē ke ʻai ki ai hono huafa, ʻio, ke mou kumi ki hono ʻafioʻanga, pea ke mou hoko atu ki ai:

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 Pea te mou fetuku ki ai ʻa hoʻomou ngaahi feilaulau tutu, mo hoʻomou ngaahi feilaulau, mo hoʻomou tukuhau, mo e feilaulau hiki hake ʻa homou nima, mo hoʻomou ngaahi fuakava, mo hoʻomou meʻa ʻatu ʻi he loto ʻofa, mo e ʻuluaki fānau ʻa hoʻomou fanga manu lalahi mo hoʻomou fanga manu siʻi.

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 Pea ke mou kai ʻi ai ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ko homou ʻOtua, pea mou fiefia ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku mou mafao atu homou nima ki ai, ʻakimoutolu mo homou kau nofoʻanga, ʻaia kuo tāpuaki ʻaki koe ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua.

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 ‌ʻE ʻikai te mou fai ʻo fakatatau ki he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku tau fai ʻi heni he ʻaho ni, ʻae tangata kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku totonu ʻi hono ʻao ʻoʻona.

“[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 He ʻoku teʻeki ai hoko ʻakimoutolu ki he mālōlōʻanga, pea ki he tofiʻa, ʻaia ʻoku foaki ʻe Sihova ko homou ʻOtua kiate kimoutolu.

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

10 Ka ʻi hoʻomou ʻalu atu ki he kauvai ʻe taha ʻo Sioatani, pea nofo ʻi he fonua ʻaia ʻoku foaki ʻe Sihova ko homou ʻOtua ke mou maʻu, pea ʻi heʻene tuku kiate kimoutolu ʻae mālōlō mei homou ngaahi fili kotoa pē ʻoku takatakai ʻiate kimoutolu, koeʻuhi ke mou nofo fiemālie pē;

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 ‌ʻE toki ʻi ai ha potu ʻaia ʻe fili ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ke pule ke nofo ki ai hono huafa; te mou fetuku ki ai ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ou fekau kiate kimoutolu, ko hoʻomou ngaahi feilaulau tutu, mo hoʻomou ngaahi feilaulau, ʻa hoʻomou ngaahi tukuhau, mo e feilaulau hiki hake ʻa homou nima, mo hoʻomou ngaahi fuakava ʻaia ʻoku mou fuakava ai kia Sihova:

“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 Pea te mou fiefia ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ko homou ʻOtua, ʻakimoutolu mo homou ngaahi foha, mo homou ngaahi ʻofefine, mo hoʻomou kau tamaioʻeiki, mo homou kau nofoʻanga, pea mo e kau Livai ʻaia ʻoku ʻi homou ngaahi lotoʻā; he koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai hano tufakanga pe tofiʻa ʻiate kimoutolu.

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 Vakai lelei kiate koe ke ʻoua naʻa ke ʻatu hoʻo feilaulau tutu ʻi he potu kotoa pē ʻoku ke mamata ki ai.

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

14 Ka ko e potu ko ia ʻaia ʻe fili ʻe Sihova ʻi homou faʻahinga ʻe taha, ke ke ʻatu ʻi ai ʻa hoʻo ngaahi feilaulau tutu, pea ke fai ʻi ai ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ou fekau kiate koe.

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 Ka neongo ia te ke tāmateʻi mo kai kakano ʻi ho ngaahi matapā kotoa pē, ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ke holi ki ai, ʻo fakatatau ki he tāpuaki ʻa Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻaia kuo ne tuku kiate koe; ko e taʻemaʻa mo e maʻa kenau ʻai mei ai, ʻi he ʻanitelope mo haʻate.

“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 Kaeʻoua ʻaupito naʻa mou kai ʻae toto; ka mou lilingi ia ki he kelekele ʻo hangē ko e vai.

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 “ʻE ʻikai ngofua ke ke kai ʻi ho lotoʻā hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻo hoʻo uite, pe ʻo hoʻo uaine, pe ʻo hoʻo lolo, pe ko e ʻuluaki ʻuhiki ʻo hoʻo fanga manu lalahi pe ko e fanga manu siʻi, pe ko ha meʻa ʻi hoʻo fuakava ʻaia kuo ke fuakava ki ai, pe ko hoʻo feilaulau loto lelei, pe ko e feilaulau hiki hake ʻa ho nima:

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 Ka te ke kai ia ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻi he potu ʻaia ʻoku fili ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua, ʻe koe, mo ho foha, mo ho ʻofefine, mo hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, mo hoʻo kaunanga, mo e Livai ʻaia ʻoku ʻi ho lotoʻā: pea te ke fiefia koe ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻi he ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ke ʻai ho nima ki ai.

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 Ke ke vakai kiate koe ke ʻoua naʻa ke liʻaki ʻae kau Livai ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ʻoku ke moʻui ai ʻi he māmani.

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

20 “ʻOka fakalahi ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻa ho fonua, ʻo hangē ko ia kuo ne talaʻofa kiate koe, pea ke lau, ʻo pehē, Te u kai kakano, ko e meʻa ʻi hoʻo holi ke kai kakano; ʻe lelei pe hoʻo kai kakano, ʻaia ʻoku ke holi ki ai.

“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 Kapau ʻoku mamaʻo ʻiate koe ʻae potu ʻaia kuo fili ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ke ʻai ki ai hono huafa, te ke toki tāmateʻi mei hoʻo fanga manu lalahi, pea mo hoʻo fanga manu siʻi, ʻaia kuo tuku kiate koe ʻe Sihova, ʻo hangē ko ia kuo u fekau kiate koe, pea te ke kai ʻi ho ngaahi matapā ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ke holi ki ai.

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 ‌ʻO hangē ko e kai ʻae ʻanitelope mo e haʻate, ʻe pehē pe hoʻo kai ʻena: ʻe fakatou kai ʻae taʻemaʻa mo e maʻa mei ai.

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 Ka ke vakai ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke kai toto: he ko e toto ko e moʻui; pea ʻoku ʻikai ngofua haʻo kai ʻae moʻuiʻanga fakataha mo e kanomate.

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 ‌ʻOua naʻa ke kai ia, ka ke lilingi ia ki he kelekele ʻo hangē ko e vai.

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

25 ‌ʻOua naʻa ke kai ia; koeʻuhi ke hoko ai ʻae lelei kiate koe, pea ki hoʻo fānau kimui ʻiate koe, ʻoka ke ka fai ʻaia ʻoku totonu ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova.

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 Ka ko hoʻo ngaahi meʻa māʻoniʻoni ʻaia ʻoku ke maʻu, mo hoʻo meʻa kuo ke fuakava ʻaki, ke ke toʻo ʻo ʻave ia ki he potu ʻaia kuo fili ʻe Sihova:

“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 Pea ke ʻatu hoʻo ngaahi feilaulau tutu, ko e kakano mo hono toto, ki he feilaulauʻanga ʻo Sihova ko ho ʻOtua: pea ko e toto ʻo hoʻo ngaahi feilaulau ʻe lilingi ia ki he funga ʻoe feilaulauʻanga ʻo Sihova ko ho ʻOtua, pea te ke kai ʻe koe hono kakano.

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 Ke ke vakai mo tokanga ki he ngaahi lea ni ʻaia ʻoku ou fekau kiate koe, Koeʻuhi ke hoko ai ʻae lelei kiate koe, pea ki hoʻo ngaahi fānau kimui ʻiate koe ʻo taʻengata, ʻoka ke ka fai ʻaia ʻoku lelei mo totonu ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ko ho ʻOtua.

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 “ʻOka motuhi mei ho ʻao ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga, ʻaia ʻoku ke ʻalu ki ai ke maʻu ʻakinautolu, pea kuo ke hoko ʻo fetongi ʻakinautolu, ʻo nofo ʻi honau fonua;

“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 Ke ke vakai kiate koe telia naʻa kākāʻia koe ʻi hoʻo angimui kiate kinautolu, ʻoka hili hono fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu mei ho ʻao, pea ʻoua naʻa ke fehuʻi koe ki honau ngaahi ʻotua, ʻo pehē, naʻe fēfē hono tauhi ʻe he ngaahi puleʻanga ni ki honau ngaahi ʻotua? He ʻe pehē pē ʻeku fai.

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 ‌ʻOua naʻa ke fai pehē kia Sihova ko ho ʻOtua: he ko e meʻa kovi kotoa pē kia Sihova, ʻaia ʻoku fehiʻa ia ki ai, kuo ʻosi ʻenau fai ki honau ngaahi ʻotua; he ko honau ngaahi foha mo honau ngaahi ʻofefine kuo nau tutu ʻi he afi ki honau ngaahi ʻotua.

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 “Ko e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ou fekau kiate kimoutolu, mou tokanga ki ai ʻo fai, ʻoua naʻa ke fakalahi ia, pē fakasiʻisiʻi ki ai.

“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.”