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False Prophets in the Family

Suppose your own full brother,[a] your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods[b] that neither you nor your ancestors[c] have previously known,[d] the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth[e] to the other). You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him. Instead, you must kill him without fail![f] Your own hand must be the first to strike him,[g] and then the hands of the whole community. 10 You must stone him to death[h] because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you.[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 13:6 tn Heb “your brother, the son of your mother.” In a polygamous society it was not rare to have half brothers and sisters by way of a common father and different mothers.
  2. Deuteronomy 13:6 tn In the Hebrew text these words are in the form of a brief quotation: “entice you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods.’”
  3. Deuteronomy 13:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 17).
  4. Deuteronomy 13:6 tn Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. KJV, ASV; on “fathers” cf. v. 18).
  5. Deuteronomy 13:7 tn Or “land” (so NIV, NCV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.”
  6. Deuteronomy 13:9 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail” (cf. NIV “you must certainly put him to death”).
  7. Deuteronomy 13:9 tn Heb “to put him to death,” but this is misleading in English for such an action would leave nothing for the others to do.
  8. Deuteronomy 13:10 sn Execution by means of pelting the offender with stones afforded a mechanism whereby the whole community could share in it. In a very real sense it could be done not only in the name of the community and on its behalf but by its members (cf. Lev 24:14; Num 15:35; Deut 21:21; Josh 7:25).
  9. Deuteronomy 13:11 sn Some see in this statement an argument for the deterrent effect of capital punishment (Deut 17:13; 19:20; 21:21).

Someone might try to ·lead you to serve other gods [L secretly entice you]—it might be your brother, your son or daughter, the wife you ·love [embrace], or a ·close [intimate] friend. The person might say, “Let’s go and worship other gods.” (These are gods that neither you nor your ·ancestors [fathers] have known, gods of the people who live around you, either nearby or far away, from one end of the ·land [or earth] to the other.) Do not ·give in to [agree with; consent to] such people. Do not listen or ·feel sorry for [L let your eyes look compassionately on] them, and do not ·let them go free [pity them] or ·protect [shield] them. You must ·put them to death [kill them]. ·You must be the first one to start [L Your own hand will be the first on them] to kill them, and then ·everyone else must join in [L the hand of all the people]. 10 You must ·throw stones at them until they die [stone them to death], because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ·where you were slaves [L the house of bondage]. 11 Then everyone in Israel will hear about this and be afraid, and no one among you will ever do such an evil thing again.

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