29 “When the Lord your God annihilates the nations before you,(A) which you are entering to take possession of,(B) and you drive them out and live in their land, 30 be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, ‘How did these nations worship their gods? I’ll also do the same.’ 31 You must not do the same to the Lord your God, because they practice every detestable thing, which the Lord hates, for their gods. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 [a]You must be careful to do everything I command you; do not add anything to it or take anything away from it.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:32 Dt 13:1 in Hb

29 Once the Lord your God has removed from before you all the nations that you are entering and taking possession of, and you have displaced them and are living in their land, 30 then watch yourself! Don’t be trapped by following their practices after they’ve been wiped out before you. Don’t go investigating their gods, thinking, How did these nations worship their gods? I want to do the very same thing!

31 Don’t act like they did toward the Lord your God because they did things for their gods that are detestable to the Lord, which he hates. They even burned their own sons and daughters with fire for their gods!

32 [a] Everything I’m commanding you, you must do it with utmost care! Don’t add anything to it or take anything away from it.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:32 13:1 in Heb

29 The Lord your God will cut off(A) before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land,(B) 30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared(C) by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”(D) 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.(E) They even burn their sons(F) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.(G)

32 See that you do all I command you; do not add(H) to it or take away from it.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:32 In Hebrew texts this verse (12:32) is numbered 13:1.