(A)“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, (B)the wife [a]of your bosom, or your friend (C)who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall (D)not [b]consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to (E)death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11 So all Israel shall hear and (F)fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.

12 (G)“If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 [c]‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” ’—which you have not known— 14 then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an [d]abomination was committed among you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword. 16 And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and [e]completely (H)burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God. It shall be (I)a [f]heap forever; it shall not be built again. 17 (J)So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may (K)turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and [g]multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, 18 because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, (L)to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 13:6 Whom you cherish
  2. Deuteronomy 13:8 yield
  3. Deuteronomy 13:13 Lit. Sons of Belial
  4. Deuteronomy 13:14 detestable action
  5. Deuteronomy 13:16 Or as a whole-offering
  6. Deuteronomy 13:16 Lit. mound or ruin
  7. Deuteronomy 13:17 increase

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices(A) you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods”(B) (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield(C) to them or listen to them. Show them no pity.(D) Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death.(E) Your hand(F) must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away(G) from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid,(H) and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.

12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers(I) 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), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.(J) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,(K) 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,[a](L) both its people and its livestock.(M) 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town(N) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.(O) That town is to remain a ruin(P) forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things[b] are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger,(Q) will show you mercy,(R) and will have compassion(S) on you. He will increase your numbers,(T) as he promised(U) on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right(V) in his eyes.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 13:15 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Deuteronomy 13:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.