Daily Bread

²⁹ The Lord your God will cut off^(A) before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land,^{(B) 30} and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared^(C) by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”^{(D) 31} You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.^(E) They even burn their sons^(F) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.^(G)

³² See that you do all I command you; do not add^(H) to it or take away from it.^[a]

Worshiping Other Gods

13 ^[b]If a prophet,^(I) or one who foretells by dreams,^(J) appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, ² and if the sign^(K) or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods”^(L) (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet^(M) or dreamer.^(N) The Lord your God is testing^(O) you to find out whether you love^(P) him with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ It is the Lord your God you must follow,^(Q) and him you must revere.^(R) Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast^(S) to him. ⁵ That prophet or dreamer must be put to death^(T) 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^(U) you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil^(V) 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^(W) you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods”^(X) (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^(Y) to them or listen to them. Show them no pity.^(Z) Do not spare them or shield them. ⁹ You must certainly put them to death.^(AA) Your hand^(AB) 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^(AC) 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,^(AD) 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^(AE) 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.^(AF) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,^{(AG) 15} you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,^[c](AH) both its people and its livestock.^{(AI) 16} You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town^(AJ) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.^(AK) That town is to remain a ruin^(AL) forever, never to be rebuilt, ¹⁷ and none of the condemned things^[d] are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger,^(AM) will show you mercy,^(AN) and will have compassion^(AO) on you. He will increase your numbers,^(AP) as he promised^(AQ) 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^(AR) in his eyes.