16. However, you must not eat blood – pour it out on the ground like water.
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.
18. Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.
19. Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.
20. When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,” you may do so as you wish.
21. If the place he chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages just as you wish.
22. Like you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them.
23. However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself – you must not eat the life with the meat!
24. You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water.
25. You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.
26. Only the holy things and votive offerings that belong to you, you must pick up and take to the place the Lord will choose.
27. You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; the blood of your other sacrifices you must pour out on his altar while you eat the meat.
28. Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
29. When the Lord your God eliminates the nations from the place where you are headed and you dispossess them, you will settle down in their land.
30. After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.”
31. You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! For everything that is abhorrent to him, everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!