Deuteronomy 13
New American Standard Bible
Reject 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, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘(B)Let’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is (C)testing you to find out whether (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 spoken falsely against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of [b]slavery, (H)to drive you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. (I)So you shall eliminate the evil from among you.
6 “(J)If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife [c]you cherish, or your friend who is like your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘(K)Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you, or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), 8 (L)you shall not consent to him or listen to him; (M)and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. 9 (N)Instead, you shall most certainly kill him; (O)your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 So you shall stone him [d]to death, because he has attempted (P)to drive you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [e]slavery. 11 Then (Q)all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and will not do such a wicked thing among you again.
12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that 13 some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘(R)Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known), 14 then you shall investigate, search out, and inquire thoroughly. And if it is true and the matter is certain that this abomination has been committed among you, 15 (S)you shall most certainly strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. [f]Utterly destroy it and all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16 (T)Then you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its public square, and burn the city and all its plunder with fire as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God; and it shall be a [g](U)ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. 17 Nothing at all from what is designated for destruction is to cling to your hand, in order that the Lord may turn from (V)His burning anger and (W)show mercy to you, and have compassion on you and (X)make you increase, just (Y)as He has sworn to your fathers, 18 [h]if you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, [i]keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, [j]and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 13:1 Ch 13:2 in Heb
- Deuteronomy 13:5 Lit slaves
- Deuteronomy 13:6 Lit of your breast
- Deuteronomy 13:10 Lit with stones so that he dies
- Deuteronomy 13:10 Lit slaves
- Deuteronomy 13:15 Or Put it under the ban
- Deuteronomy 13:16 Lit rubbish heap
- Deuteronomy 13:18 Or for
- Deuteronomy 13:18 Lit to keep
- Deuteronomy 13:18 Lit to do
Deuteronomy 13
Christian Standard Bible
The False Prophet
13 “If a prophet or someone who has dreams(A) arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ 3 do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.(B) 4 You must follow the Lord your God and fear him. You must keep his commands and listen to him; you must worship him and remain faithful[a] to him.(C) 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death,(D) because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery,(E) to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.(F)
Don’t Tolerate Idolatry
6 “If your brother, the son of your mother,[b] or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods’—which neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other— 8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity,[c] and do not spare him or shield him.(G) 9 Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.(H) 10 Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.(I) 11 All Israel will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer do anything evil like this among you.(J)
12 “If you hear it said about one of your cities the Lord your God is giving you to live in, 13 that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known,(K) 14 you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done among you, 15 you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword. 16 You are to gather all its spoil in the middle of the city square and completely burn the city and all its spoil for the Lord your God. The city is to remain a mound of ruins forever;(L) it is not to be rebuilt. 17 Nothing set apart for destruction is to remain in your hand, so that the Lord will turn from his burning anger and grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as he swore to your ancestors. 18 This will occur if you obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commands I am giving you today, doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
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