Deuteronomy 13
New American Standard Bible
Reject Idolatry
13 “[a](A)If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘(B)Let’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is (C)testing you to find out whether (D)you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 (E)You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and (F)cling to Him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be (G)put to death, because he has spoken falsely against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of [b]slavery, (H)to drive you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. (I)So you shall eliminate the evil from among you.
6 “(J)If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife [c]you cherish, or your friend who is like your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘(K)Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you, or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), 8 (L)you shall not consent to him or listen to him; (M)and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. 9 (N)Instead, you shall most certainly kill him; (O)your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 So you shall stone him [d]to death, because he has attempted (P)to drive you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [e]slavery. 11 Then (Q)all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and will not do such a wicked thing among you again.
12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that 13 some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘(R)Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known), 14 then you shall investigate, search out, and inquire thoroughly. And if it is true and the matter is certain that this abomination has been committed among you, 15 (S)you shall most certainly strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. [f]Utterly destroy it and all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16 (T)Then you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its public square, and burn the city and all its plunder with fire as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God; and it shall be a [g](U)ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. 17 Nothing at all from what is designated for destruction is to cling to your hand, in order that the Lord may turn from (V)His burning anger and (W)show mercy to you, and have compassion on you and (X)make you increase, just (Y)as He has sworn to your fathers, 18 [h]if you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, [i]keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, [j]and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 13:1 Ch 13:2 in Heb
- Deuteronomy 13:5 Lit slaves
- Deuteronomy 13:6 Lit of your breast
- Deuteronomy 13:10 Lit with stones so that he dies
- Deuteronomy 13:10 Lit slaves
- Deuteronomy 13:15 Or Put it under the ban
- Deuteronomy 13:16 Lit rubbish heap
- Deuteronomy 13:18 Or for
- Deuteronomy 13:18 Lit to keep
- Deuteronomy 13:18 Lit to do
Deuteronomy 13
Living Bible
13 “If there is a prophet among you, or one who claims to foretell the future by dreams, 2 and if his predictions come true but he says, ‘Come, let us worship the gods of the other nations,’ 3 don’t listen to him. For the Lord is testing you to find out whether or not you really love him with all your heart and soul. 4 You must never worship any God but Jehovah; obey only his commands and cling to him.
5 “The prophet who tries to lead you astray must be executed, for he has attempted to foment rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery in the land of Egypt. By executing him you will clear out the evil from among you.
6-7 “If your nearest relative or closest friend, even a brother, son, daughter, or beloved wife whispers to you to come and worship these foreign gods, 8 do not consent or listen, and have no pity: Do not spare that person from the penalty; don’t conceal his horrible suggestion. 9 Execute him! Your own hand shall be the first upon him to put him to death, then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone him to death because he has tried to draw you away from the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear about his evil deed and will fear such wickedness as this among you.
12-14 “If you ever hear it said about one of the cities of Israel that some worthless rabble have led their fellow citizens astray with the suggestion that they worship foreign gods, first check the facts to see if the rumor is true. If you find that it is, that it is certain that such a horrible thing is happening among you in one of the cities the Lord has given you, 15 you must without fail declare war against that city and utterly destroy all of its inhabitants, and even all of the cattle. 16 Afterwards you must pile all the booty into the middle of the street and burn it, then put the entire city to the torch, as a burnt offering to Jehovah your God. That city shall forever remain a lifeless mound and may never be rebuilt. 17 Keep none of the booty! Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you, and have compassion upon you, and make you a great nation just as he promised your ancestors.
18 “Of course, the Lord your God will be merciful only if you have been obedient to him and to his commandments that I am giving you today, and if you have been doing that which is right in the eyes of the Lord.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.