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Deuteronomy 13:12-18
English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 13:12-18
English Standard Version
12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, 13 that certain (A)worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, 14 then you shall inquire and make search and ask (B)diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, 15 you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction,[a] all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16 You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and (C)burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall be a (D)heap forever. It shall not be built again. 17 (E)None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, (F)that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, (G)as he swore to your fathers, 18 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, (H)keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Deuteronomy 13:15 That is, setting apart (devoting) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
Deuteronomy 13:12-18
New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 13:12-18
New Living Translation
12 “When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, you may hear 13 that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before. 14 In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you, 15 you must attack that town and completely destroy[a] all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. 16 Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. 17 Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors.
18 “The Lord your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him.
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Deuteronomy 13:12-18
New International Version
Deuteronomy 13:12-18
New International Version
12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers(A) have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.(B) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,(C) 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,[a](D) both its people and its livestock.(E) 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town(F) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.(G) That town is to remain a ruin(H) forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things[b] are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger,(I) will show you mercy,(J) and will have compassion(K) on you. He will increase your numbers,(L) as he promised(M) on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right(N) in his eyes.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 13:15 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Deuteronomy 13:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.