¹² “You may hear in one of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you to inhabit ¹³ that worthless men^[a] have come from among you to entice those who live in the towns. They may say, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods that you haven’t known.’ ¹⁴ You must thoroughly investigate and inquire if it is true that this detestable thing exists among you. If it is so,^{[b] 15} then put the inhabitants of the town to death by the sword. Devote everything in it to divine destruction—even its livestock—by the sword. ¹⁶ Gather whatever you’ve taken as spoils at the public square of the town, then burn the town, along with whatever you’ve taken, as an offering to the Lord your God. It will remain a permanent mound of ruins, never to be rebuilt again. ¹⁷ Moreover, you must never take any item from those condemned things, so the Lord may yet relent from his burning anger and extend compassion, have mercy, and cause you to increase in number—as he promised by an oath to your ancestors— ¹⁸ if you obey the voice of the Lord your God by observing all his commands that I’m commanding you today. Do what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.”