13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder,
13:2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,”
13:3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
13:4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
13:5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
13:6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known,
13:7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other),
13:8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him.
13:9 You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
13:10 Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
13:11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
13:12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in
13:13 that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known),
13:14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,
13:15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.
13:16 Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt.
13:17 None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that the LORD will turn from his fierce anger; he will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your forefathers,
13:18 because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.
13:1 If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams stands up in your midst and gives you a sign or wonder,
13:2 And the sign or the wonder occurs, about which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods whom you have not known, and let us serve them;
13:3 You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for Jehovah your God is testing you in order to know whether you love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
13:4 You shall follow Jehovah your God; and you shall fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and hold fast to Him.
13:5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has advocated apostasy from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the slave house, in order to force you out of the way in which Jehovah your God has commanded you to walk. Thus you shall utterly remove the evil from your midst.
13:6 If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is like your own soul to you entice you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
13:7 Of the gods of the peoples who are surrounding you, those who are near you or those who are far from you, from one end of the earth to the other);
13:8 You shall not yield to him nor listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him; neither shall you spare him nor conceal him;
13:9 But you must slay him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
13:10 And you shall stone him with stones so that he dies, because he sought to force you away from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the slave house.
13:11 And all Israel will hear and will fear and will never do anything like this evil thing in your midst again.
13:12 If you hear in one of your cities, which Jehovah your God is giving you to dwell in, someone saying that
13:13 Some worthless men have gone out from your midst and have forced the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which you have not known);
13:14 Then you shall investigate and examine carefully and inquire thoroughly. And if indeed the thing is true and certain ? this abomination has been done in your midst ?
13:15 You must slay the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its animals with the edge of the sword.
13:16 And all its spoil you shall gather at the middle of its open square, and you shall burn the city and all its spoil with fire wholly to Jehovah your God. And it shall be a mound only forever; it shall not be built again.
13:17 And nothing of what has been cursed shall cling to your hand, in order that Jehovah may turn from His burning anger and show you tenderness and be compassionate to you and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
13:18 When you listen to the voice of Jehovah your God and keep all His commandments, which I am commanding you today, and do what is right in the sight of Jehovah your God.