Deuteronomy 12:23

THE MESSAGE

Only this: Absolutely no blood. Don't eat the blood. Blood is life; don't eat the life with the meat. Don't eat it; pour it out on the ground like water. Don't eat it; then you'll have a good life, you and your children after you. By all means, do the right thing in God 's eyes.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But don’t eat the blood, since the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Hebrew Names Version
Only be sure that you don't eat the blood: for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

King James Version
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

Lexham English Bible
Only, be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the meat.

English Standard Version
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

New Century Version
but be sure you don't eat the blood, because the life is in the blood. Don't eat the life with the meat.

New English Translation
However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself—you must not eat the life with the meat!

Amplified Bible
"Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life (soul), and you shall not eat the life with the meat.

New American Standard Bible
"Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Onely bee sure that thou eate not the blood: for the blood is the life, and thou maiest not eate the life with the flesh.

Legacy Standard Bible
Only be strong in yourselves not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Contemporary English Version
But don't eat the blood. It is the life of the animal, so let it drain out on the ground before you eat the meat.

Complete Jewish Bible
Just take care not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you are not to eat the life with the meat.

Darby Translation
Only, be sure that thou eat not the blood; for the blood is the life, and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh;

Easy-to-Read Version
But be especially careful not to eat the blood, because the life is in the blood. You must not eat meat that still has its life in it.

George Lamsa Translation
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Good News Translation
Only do not eat meat with blood still in it, for the life is in the blood, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Literal Translation
Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Onely bewarre, that thou eate not the bloude: for the bloude is the life. Therfore shalt thou not eate the life wt the flesh,

American Standard Version
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh.

Bible in Basic English
But see that you do not take the blood for food; for the blood is the life; and you may not make use of the life as food with the flesh.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But be strong, that thou eate not the blood: for the blood is the life, and thou mayest not eate the life with the fleshe.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Only be stedfast in not eating the blood; for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh.

King James Version (1611)
Onely be sure that thou eate not the blood: for the blood is the life, and thou mayest not eate the life with the flesh.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Take diligent heed that thou eat no blood, for blood is the life of it; the life shall not be eaten with the flesh.

English Revised Version
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh.

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Oneli eschewe thou this, that thou ete not blood; for the blood `of tho beestis is for the lijf, and therfor thou owist not ete the lijf with fleischis,

Young's Literal Translation
`Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood [is] the life, and thou dost not eat the life with the flesh;

Update Bible Version
Only be sure that you don't eat the blood: for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Webster's Bible Translation
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood [is] the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

World English Bible
Only be sure that you don't eat the blood: for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

New King James Version
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.

New Living Translation
But never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat.

New Life Bible
Only be sure not to eat the blood. For the blood is the life. You must not eat the life with the flesh.

New Revised Standard
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the meat.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Howbeit firmly refrain from eating the blood; for the blood, is the life, - therefore must thou not eat the life with the flesh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Only beware of this, that thou eat not the blood, for the blood is for the soul: and therefore thou must not eat the soul with the flesh:

Revised Standard Version
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Contextual Overview

⁵Instead find the site that God , your God, will choose and mark it with his name as a common center for all the tribes of Israel. Assemble there. Bring to that place your Absolution-Offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and Tribute-Offerings, your Vow-Offerings, your Freewill-Offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. Feast there in the Presence of God , your God. Celebrate everything that you and your families have accomplished under the blessing of God , your God. ⁸Don't continue doing things the way we're doing them at present, each of us doing as we wish. Until now you haven't arrived at the goal, the resting place, the inheritance that God , your God, is giving you. But the minute you cross the Jordan River and settle into the land God , your God, is enabling you to inherit, he'll give you rest from all your surrounding enemies. You'll be able to settle down and live in safety. ¹¹From then on, at the place that God , your God, chooses to mark with his name as the place where you can meet him, bring everything that I command you: your Absolution-Offerings and sacrifices, tithes and Tribute-Offerings, and the best of your Vow-Offerings that you vow to God . Celebrate there in the Presence of God , your God, you and your sons and daughters, your servants and maids, including the Levite living in your neighborhood because he has no place of his own in your inheritance. ¹³Be extra careful: Don't offer your Absolution-Offerings just any place that strikes your fancy. Offer your Absolution-Offerings only in the place that God chooses in one of your tribal regions. There and only there are you to bring all that I command you. ¹⁵ It's permissible to slaughter your nonsacrificial animals like gazelle and deer in your towns and eat all you want from them with the blessing of God , your God. Both the ritually clean and unclean may eat. ¹⁶But you may not eat the blood. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. Nor may you eat there the tithe of your grain, new wine, or olive oil; nor the firstborn of your herds and flocks; nor any of the Vow-Offerings that you vow; nor your Freewill-Offerings and Tribute-Offerings. All these you must eat in the Presence of God , your God, in the place God , your God, chooses—you, your son and daughter, your servant and maid, and the Levite who lives in your neighborhood. You are to celebrate in the Presence of God , your God, all the things you've been able to accomplish. ¹⁹ And make sure that for as long as you live on your land you never, never neglect the Levite. ²⁰When God , your God, expands your territory as he promised he would do, and you say, "I'm hungry for meat," because you happen to be craving meat at the time, go ahead and eat as much meat as you want. If you're too far away from the place that God , your God, has marked with his name, it's all right to slaughter animals from your herds and flocks that God has given you, as I've commanded you. In your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. Just as the nonsacrificial animals like the gazelle and deer are eaten, you may eat them; the ritually unclean and clean may eat them at the same table. ²³Only this: Absolutely no blood. Don't eat the blood. Blood is life; don't eat the life with the meat. Don't eat it; pour it out on the ground like water. Don't eat it; then you'll have a good life, you and your children after you. By all means, do the right thing in God 's eyes. ²⁶And this: Lift high your Holy-Offerings and your Vow-Offerings and bring them to the place God designates. Sacrifice your Absolution-Offerings, the meat and blood, on the Altar of God , your God; pour out the blood of the Absolution-Offering on the Altar of God , your God; then you can go ahead and eat the meat.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sure: Heb. strong

the blood is: Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 3:16, Leviticus 3:17, Leviticus 17:11, Leviticus 17:14, Matthew 20:28, Revelation 5:9

Reciprocal: Leviticus 17:10 - that eateth Leviticus 19:26 - with the blood Deuteronomy 12:16 - General Deuteronomy 15:23 - General 1 Samuel 14:32 - did eat Acts 15:20 - things

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Only be sure that thou eat not the blood,.... This is repeated again, that they might be careful to observe the law concerning that:

for the blood is the life: which is the reason given for the prohibition of it, :-,

and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh: by which it seems that the meaning of the law was, that the blood might not be eaten in or with the flesh, but to be let out of it, or the fish not to be eaten raw, but dressed; for there were various laws about eating of blood, which are differently expressed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 12:23. For the blood is the life — And the life being offered as an atonement, consequently the blood should not be eaten. Leviticus 17:11, where the subject of the vitality of the blood is largely considered.