Deuteronomy 12:21

¹⁹ and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

²⁰ When the LORD your God expands your territory as He has promised, and you crave meat and say, “I want to eat meat,” you may eat it whenever you want.

If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you may slaughter any of the herd or flock He has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat it within your gates whenever you want.

²² Indeed, you may eat it as you would eat a gazelle or deer; both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.

²³ Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you may slaughter any of the herd or flock He has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat it within your gates whenever you want.
KJV: If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
WEB: If the place which the LORD your God shall choose to put his name is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul.
ASV: If the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which Jehovah hath given thee, as I have commanded thee; and thou mayest eat within thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul.
DARBY: If the place which Jehovah thy God will choose to set his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt slay of thy kine and of thy sheep which Jehovah hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates according to all the desire of thy soul.
BLB: If the place is too far from you where YHWH your God chooses to put His Name, you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock that which YHWH has given to you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates all the desire of your heart.

ÅB: Hvis du har lang vei til det sted Herren din Gud utvelger for å la sitt navn bo der, da kan du gjøre som jeg har befalt deg, og slakte av ditt storfe og av ditt småfe, som Herren har gitt deg, og du kan spise det hjemme i dine byer etter ditt hjertes lyst.
OTB: Hvis stedet hvor Herren deres Gud velger å sette sitt navn er for langt fra dere, kan dere slakte dyr fra deres buskap og flokker som Herren har gitt dere, som jeg har befalt dere, og dere kan spise i deres egne byer så mye dere ønsker.
B1930: Hvis du har lang vei til det sted Herren din Gud utvelger for å la sitt navn bo der, da kan du gjøre som jeg har befalt dig, og slakte av ditt storfe og av ditt småfe, som Herren har gitt dig, og du kan ete det hjemme i dine byer efter ditt hjertes lyst.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 12:5
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
Read in context
Ezra 6:12
May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 16:11
and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
Read in context
Exodus 20:24
You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 26:2
you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name,
Read in context
2 Chronicles 12:13
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 14:23–24
And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:15
But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,
Read in context