^12 (A)Beware lest you cut a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, lest it become a snare in your midst. ^13 (B)But rather, you are to tear down their altars and shatter their sacred pillars and cut down their ^[a](C)Asherim ¹⁴ —for ^(D)you shall not worship any other god, for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— ¹⁵ lest you cut a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and ^(E)sacrifice to their gods, and one of them ^(F)invite you ^[b]to eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and ^(G)you take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.

⁴ For ^[a]they will turn your ^[b]sons away from ^[c]following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and ^(A)He will quickly destroy you.

⁵ It is ^(A)not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that Yahweh your God is dispossessing them before you, in order to confirm ^(B)the ^[a]oath which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

³⁰ beware lest you be ensnared ^[a]to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and lest you inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ ^31 (A)You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God, for every abominable act which Yahweh hates they have done for their gods; for ^(B)they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.