Deuteronomy 13:12-18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 “If you hear it said about one of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you to live in, 13 that scoundrels from among you have gone out and led the inhabitants of the town astray, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ whom you have not known,(A) 14 then you shall inquire and make a thorough investigation. If the charge is established that such an abhorrent thing has been done among you, 15 you shall put the inhabitants of that town to the sword, utterly destroying it and everything in it, even putting its livestock to the sword.(B) 16 All of its spoil you shall gather into its public square, then burn the town and all its spoil with fire as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall remain a perpetual ruin, never to be rebuilt.(C) 17 Do not let anything devoted to destruction stick to your hand, so that the Lord may turn from his fierce anger and show you compassion, and in his compassion multiply you, as he swore to your ancestors,(D) 18 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God by keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.(E)
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Deuteronomy 13:12-18
New English Translation
Punishment of Community Idolatry
12 Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that 13 some evil people[a] have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities,[b] saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before).[c] 14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,[d] 15 you must by all means[e] slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate[f] with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock. 16 You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza[g] and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It will be an abandoned ruin[h] forever—it must never be rebuilt again. 17 You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment.[i] Then the Lord will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors. 18 Thus you must obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving[j] you today and doing what is right[k] before him.[l]
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- Deuteronomy 13:13 tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (beliyyaʿal) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”
- Deuteronomy 13:13 tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”
- Deuteronomy 13:13 tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.
- Deuteronomy 13:14 tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.
- Deuteronomy 13:15 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “by all means.” Cf. KJV, NASB “surely”; NIV “certainly.”
- Deuteronomy 13:15 tn Or “put under divine judgment. The Hebrew word (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to placing persons or things under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. Though primarily applied against the heathen, this severe judgment could also fall upon unrepentant Israelites (cf. the story of Achan in Josh 7). See also the note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
- Deuteronomy 13:16 tn Heb “street.”
- Deuteronomy 13:16 tn Heb “mound”; NAB “a heap of ruins.” The Hebrew word תֵּל (tel) refers to this day to a ruin represented especially by a built-up mound of dirt or debris (cf. Tel Aviv, “mound of grain”).
- Deuteronomy 13:17 tn Or “anything that has been put under the divine curse”; Heb “anything of the ban” (cf. NASB). See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
- Deuteronomy 13:18 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
- Deuteronomy 13:18 tc The LXX and Smr add “and good” to bring the phrase in line with a familiar cliché (cf. Deut 6:18; Josh 9:25; 2 Kgs 10:3; 2 Chr 14:1; etc.). This is an unnecessary and improper attempt to force a text into a preconceived mold.
- Deuteronomy 13:18 tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord your God.” See note on the word “him” in v. 3.
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