Deuteronomy 12:23

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

⁵Soon you will cross the Jordan, and the Lord will help you conquer your enemies and let you live in peace, there in the land he has given you. But after you are settled, life will be different. You must not offer sacrifices just anywhere you want to. Instead, the Lord will choose a place somewhere in Israel where you must go to worship him. All of your sacrifices and offerings must be taken there, including sacrifices to please the Lord and any gift you promise or voluntarily give him. That's where you must also take one tenth of your grain, wine, and olive oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle, sheep, and goats. You and your family and servants will eat your gifts and sacrifices and celebrate there at the place of worship, because the Lord your God has made you successful in everything you have done. And since Levites will not have any land of their own, you must ask some of them to come along and celebrate with you. Sometimes you may want to kill an animal for food and not as a sacrifice. If the Lord has blessed you and given you enough cows or sheep or goats, then you can butcher one of them where you live. You can eat it just like the meat from a deer or gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And even those people who are unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat. But you must not eat the blood of any animal—let the blood drain out on the ground. ²⁰The Lord has promised that later on he will give Israel more land, and some of you may not be able to travel all the way from your homes to the place of worship each time you are hungry for meat. But the Lord will give you cattle, sheep, and goats, and you can butcher any of those animals at home and eat as much as you want. ²² It is the same as eating the meat from a deer or a gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And in this way, anyone who is unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat. ²³But 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. ²⁵ Do you want the Lord to make you successful? Do you want your children to be successful even after you are gone? Then do what pleases the Lord and don't eat blood. ²⁶All sacrifices and offerings to the Lord must be taken to the place where he chooses to be worshiped. If you offer a sacrifice to please the Lord , all of its meat must be burned on the altar. You can eat the meat from certain kinds of sacrifices, but you must always pour out the animal's blood on the altar. ²⁸ If you obey these laws, you will be doing what the Lord your God says is right and good. Then he will help you and your descendants be successful. ²⁹ Moses said: Israel, as you go into the land and attack the nations that are there, the Lord will get rid of them, and you can have their land. ³⁰ But that's when you must be especially careful not to ask, "How did those nations worship their gods? Shouldn't we worship the Lord in the same way?" ³¹ No, you should not! The Lord hates the disgusting way those nations worship their gods, because they even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices.

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.