^12 (A)Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. ^13 (B)But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones, and cut down their ^[a](C)Asherim ¹⁴ —for ^(D)you shall not worship any other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— ¹⁵ otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they would prostitute themselves with their gods and ^(E)sacrifice to their gods, and someone ^(F)might invite you ^[b]to eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and ^(G)you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons also to prostitute themselves with their gods.

⁴ For ^[a]they will turn your ^[b]sons away from ^[c]following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and ^(A)He will quickly destroy you.

⁵ It is ^(A)not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you are going in to take possession of their land, ^[a]but it is because of the ^[b]wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and in order to confirm ^(B)the ^[c]oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

³⁰ be careful that you are not ensnared ^[a]to follow them, after they are destroyed from your presence, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ ^31 (A)You shall not behave this way toward the Lord your God, because every abominable act which the Lord hates, they have done for their gods; for ^(B)they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.