Deuteronomy 13:12-18

Lexham English Bible

¹² “If you hear in one of your towns which Yahweh your God is giving to you to live in, someone saying that^{[a] 13} worthless men^[b] have gone out from your midst and have seduced the inhabitants of their town, saying,^[c] ‘Let us go and serve other gods!’ whom you have not known, ¹⁴ then you shall inquire and examine and interrogate thoroughly, and, look! It is true; the thing has actually been done, this detestable thing in your midst, ¹⁵ then you shall certainly strike down the inhabitants of that town with the edge^[d] of the sword; you shall destroy it and everything in it, its domestic animals with the edge^[e] of the sword. ¹⁶ And then you shall gather all of its booty into the middle of its public square, and you shall burn the town and all of its war-booty totally for Yahweh your God, and it shall be a pile of rubble forever;^[f] it shall not be built again. ¹⁷ And let not something cling to your hand from the things devoted to destruction, so that Yahweh may turn back from his burning anger,^[g] and he may show compassion to you and he may continue to show compassion and so multiply you just as he swore^[h] to your ancestors,^{[i] 18} if you listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all of his commandments that I am commanding to you today^[j] so as to do the right thing in the eyes of Yahweh your God.”