Deuteronomy 12:5-7

Context
12:5 But you must seek only the place he¹ chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence,² and you must go there. 12:6 And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared,³ your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 12:7 Both you and your families⁴ must feast there before the Lord your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he⁵ has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 12:17-18

Context
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. 12:18 Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he⁶ chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites⁷ in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.⁸

[12:5] ¹tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[12:5] ²tc Some scholars, on the basis of v. 11, emend the MT reading שִׁכְנוֹ (shikhno, “his residence”) to the infinitive construct לְשָׁכֵן (lÿshakhen, “to make [his name] to dwell”), perhaps with the 3rd person masculine singular sf לְשַׁכְּנוֹ (lÿshakÿno, “to cause it to dwell”). Though the presupposed nounשֵׁכֶן (shekhen) is nowhere else attested, the parallel here with שַׁמָּה (shammah, “there”) favors retaining the MT as it stands.

[12:6] ³tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”

[12:7] ⁴tn Heb “and your houses,” referring to entire households. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in the Hebrew text.

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

[12:18] ⁶tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.

[12:18] ⁷tn See note at Deut 12:12.

[12:18] ⁸tn Heb “in all the sending forth of your hands.”