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.

Forbidden Practices

14 “You are sons of the Lord your God;^(M) do not cut yourselves or make a bald spot on your head^[d] on behalf of the dead,^{(N) 2} for you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be his own possession^(O) out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

Clean and Unclean Foods

³ “You must not eat any detestable thing. ⁴ These are the animals you may eat:

⁶ You may eat any animal that has hooves divided in two and chews the cud.^{[e] 7} But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves, you are not to eat these:

Do not eat their meat or touch their carcasses.^(P)

⁹ “You may eat everything from the water that has fins and scales, ¹⁰ but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales—it is unclean for you.^(Q)

¹¹ “You may eat every clean bird, ¹² but these are the ones you may not eat:

¹⁹ All winged insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten. ²⁰ But you may eat every clean flying creature.^(S)

²¹ “You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to a resident alien within your city gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

A Tenth for the Lord

²² “Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the produce grown in your fields. ²³ You are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, in the presence of the Lord your God at the place where he chooses to have his name dwell,^(T) so that you will always learn to fear^(U) the Lord your God. ²⁴ But if the distance is too great for you to carry it, since the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far away from you and since the Lord your God has blessed you, ²⁵ then exchange it for silver, take the silver in your hand, and go to the place the Lord your God chooses. ²⁶ You may spend the silver on anything you want: cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice with your family. ²⁷ Do not neglect the Levite within your city gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.^(V)

²⁸ “At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of all your produce for that year and store it within your city gates. ²⁹ Then the Levite, who has no portion or inheritance among you, the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates may come, eat, and be satisfied.^(W) And the Lord your God will bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.^(X)

⁵¹ Now a certain young man, wearing nothing but a linen cloth, was following him. They caught hold of him, ⁵² but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.^(A)

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

⁵³ They^(B) led Jesus away to the high priest,^(C) and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes^(D) assembled.^{(E) 54} Peter^(F) followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants,^[a](G) warming himself by the fire.

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(H) were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death,^(I) but they could not find any. ⁵⁶ For many were giving false testimony^(J) against him, and the testimonies did not agree. ⁵⁷ Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands,^(K) and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet their testimony did not agree^(L) even on this.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” ⁶¹ But he kept silent and did not answer.^(M) Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah,^(N) the Son^(O) of the Blessed^(P) One?”

⁶² “I am,”^(Q) said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man^(R) seated at the right hand^(S) of Power and coming with the clouds^(T) of heaven.”^[b](U)

⁶³ Then the high priest^(V) tore his robes^(W) and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?^{(X) 64} You have heard the blasphemy.^(Y) What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death.^(Z)

⁶⁵ Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” ^(AA) The temple servants^(AB) also took him and slapped him.

Peter Denies His Lord

⁶⁶ While^(AC) Peter^(AD) was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”^(AE)

⁶⁸ But he denied it: “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the entryway,^[c] and a rooster crowed.^[d]

⁶⁹ When the maidservant saw him again, she began to tell those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.”

⁷⁰ But again he denied it. After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, “You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean.”^[e](AF)

⁷¹ Then he started to curse and swear,^(AG) “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

⁷² Immediately a rooster crowed a second time,^(AH) and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.