12 (A)“If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 [a]‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” ’—which you have not known— 14 then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an [b]abomination was committed among you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword. 16 And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and [c]completely (B)burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God. It shall be (C)a [d]heap forever; it shall not be built again. 17 (D)So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may (E)turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and [e]multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, 18 because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, (F)to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 13:13 Lit. Sons of Belial
  2. Deuteronomy 13:14 detestable action
  3. Deuteronomy 13:16 Or as a whole-offering
  4. Deuteronomy 13:16 Lit. mound or ruin
  5. Deuteronomy 13:17 increase

12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; 14 then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; 15 thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. 16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. 17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; 18 when thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.

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