Daily Bread

Worshiping Other Gods

13 ^[a]If a prophet,^(A) or one who foretells by dreams,^(B) appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, ² and if the sign^(C) or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods”^(D) (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet^(E) or dreamer.^(F) The Lord your God is testing^(G) you to find out whether you love^(H) him with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ It is the Lord your God you must follow,^(I) and him you must revere.^(J) Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast^(K) to him. ⁵ That prophet or dreamer must be put to death^(L) for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn^(M) you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil^(N) from among you.

⁶ If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices^(O) you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods”^(P) (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, ⁷ gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), ⁸ do not yield^(Q) to them or listen to them. Show them no pity.^(R) Do not spare them or shield them. ⁹ You must certainly put them to death.^(S) Your hand^(T) 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^(U) 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,^(V) 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^(W) 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.^(X) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,^{(Y) 15} you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,^[b](Z) both its people and its livestock.^{(AA) 16} You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town^(AB) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.^(AC) That town is to remain a ruin^(AD) forever, never to be rebuilt, ¹⁷ and none of the condemned things^[c] are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger,^(AE) will show you mercy,^(AF) and will have compassion^(AG) on you. He will increase your numbers,^(AH) as he promised^(AI) 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^(AJ) in his eyes.