Shun Idolatry

13 “^[a](A)If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘^(B)Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is ^(C)testing you to find out if ^(D)you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ^4 (E)You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and ^(F)cling to Him. ⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be ^(G)put to death, because he has ^[b]counseled ^[c]rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of ^[d]slavery, ^(H)to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. ^(I)So you shall purge the evil from among you.

²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not ^[a]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became ^(A)futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

^22 (A)Professing to be wise, they became fools,

²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for ^[a]a ^(A)lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(B)who is blessed ^[b]forever. Amen.

⁴ they worshiped the ^(A)dragon because he ^(B)gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “^(C)Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”

¹⁴ And he ^(A)deceives ^(B)those who dwell on the earth because of ^(C)the signs which it was given him to perform ^[a](D)in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the ^(E)wound of the sword and has come to life. ¹⁵ And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even ^[b]speak and cause ^(F)as many as do not ^(G)worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ And he causes all, ^(H)the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, ^[c]to be given a ^(I)mark on their right hand or on their forehead, ¹⁷ and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the ^(J)mark, either ^(K)the name of the beast or ^(L)the number of his name.

⁵ There was given to him a mouth ^(A)speaking ^[a]arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for ^(B)forty-two months was given to him. ⁶ And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, ^(C)those who ^[b]dwell in heaven.

⁷ It was also given to him to ^(D)make war with the ^[c]saints and to overcome them, and authority over ^(E)every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.