Add parallel Print Page Options

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)

Read full chapter

12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers(A) have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.(B) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,(C) 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,[a](D) both its people and its livestock.(E) 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town(F) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.(G) That town is to remain a ruin(H) forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things[b] are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger,(I) will show you mercy,(J) and will have compassion(K) on you. He will increase your numbers,(L) as he promised(M) on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right(N) in his eyes.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 13:15 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Deuteronomy 13:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.