Deuteronomy 12:6-11

12:6 And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared,¹ your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 12:7 Both you and your families² must feast there before the Lord your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he³ has blessed you. 12:8 You must not do like we are doing here today, with everyone⁴ doing what seems best to him, 12:9 for you have not yet come to the final stop⁵ and inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 12:10 When you do go across the Jordan River⁶ and settle in the land he⁷ is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety.⁸ 12:11 Then you must come to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing⁹ everything I am commanding you – your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared,¹⁰ and all your choice votive offerings which you devote to him.¹¹

Deuteronomy 12:17

12:17 You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings.

Deuteronomy 14:23-27

14:23 In the presence of the Lord your God you must eat from the tithe of your grain, your new wine,¹² your olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the place he chooses to locate his name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. 14:24 When he¹³ blesses you, if the¹⁴ place where he chooses to locate his name is distant, 14:25 you may convert the tithe into money, secure the money,¹⁵ and travel to the place the Lord your God chooses for himself. 14:26 Then you may spend the money however you wish for cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or whatever you desire. You and your household may eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and enjoy it. 14:27 As for the Levites in your villages, you must not ignore them, for they have no allotment or inheritance along with you.

Deuteronomy 14:2

14:2 For you are a people holy¹⁶ to the Lord your God. He¹⁷ has chosen you to be his people, prized¹⁸ above all others on the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 31:12

31:12 Gather the people – men, women, and children, as well as the resident foreigners in your villages – so they may hear and thus learn about and fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the words of this law.

¹tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”

²tn Heb “and your houses,” referring to entire households. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in the Hebrew text.

³tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.

⁴tn Heb “a man.”

⁵tn Heb “rest.”

⁶tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁷tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.

⁸tn In the Hebrew text vv. 10-11 are one long, complex sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides this into two sentences.

⁹tn Heb “and it will be (to) the place where the Lord your God chooses to cause his name to dwell you will bring.”

¹⁰tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”

¹¹tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 12:5.

¹²tn This refers to wine in the early stages of fermentation. In its later stages it becomes wine (יַיִן, yayin) in its mature sense.

¹³tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “He” in 14:2.

¹⁴tn The Hebrew text includes “way is so far from you that you are unable to carry it because the.” These words have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because they are redundant.

¹⁵tn Heb “bind the silver in your hand.”

¹⁶tn Or “set apart.”

¹⁷tn Heb “The Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

¹⁸tn Or “treasured.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.