Forbidden Worship

²¹ “Do not set up an Asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar you will build for the Lord your God, ²² and do not set up a sacred pillar; the Lord your God hates them.^(A)

17 “Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, for that is detestable to the Lord your God.^(B)

The Judicial Procedure for Idolatry

² “If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the Lord your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violating his covenant^{(C) 3} and has gone to serve other gods^(D) by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky^(E)—which I have forbidden^(F)— ⁴ and if you are told or hear about it, then investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done in Israel, ⁵ you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.^{(G) 6} The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses.^(H) No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness. ⁷ The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people.^(I) You must purge the evil from you.^(J)