Deuteronomy 13 - International Children’s Bible (ICB)

False Prophets

13 A prophet or someone who tells the future with dreams might come to you. He might say he will show you a miracle or a sign. 2 The miracle or sign might even happen. Then he might say, “Let’s serve other gods.” (These are gods you have not known.) “And let’s worship them.” 3 But you must not listen to that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you. He is finding out if you love him with your whole being. 4 Serve only the Lord your God. Respect him. Keep his commands and obey him. Serve him and be loyal to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be killed. He said you should turn against the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. He saved you from the land where you were slaves. That prophet tried to turn you from doing what the Lord your God commanded you to do. You must get rid of the evil among you.

6 Some relative might try to lead you to serve other gods. It might be your brother, your son or daughter or the wife you love. Or it might be a close friend. He might say, “Let’s go and worship other gods.” (These are gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. 7 They are gods of the people who live around you. Some are nearby, and some are far away. They are from one end of the land to the other.) 8 Do not give in to him. Do not listen. Do not feel sorry for him. Do not let him go free or protect him. 9 You must put him to death. You must be the first one to start to kill him. Then everyone else must join in. 10 You must throw stones at him until he dies. He tried to turn you away from the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 11 Then everyone in Israel will hear about this. And they will be afraid. No one among you will ever do such an evil thing again.

Cities to Destroy

12 The Lord your God is giving you cities in which to live. You might hear something about one of them. Someone might say 13 that evil men have moved in among you. And they might lead the people of that city away from God. They might say, “Let’s go and worship other gods.” (These are gods you have not known.) 14 Then you must ask about it. Look into the matter and check carefully. It might be true. It may be proved that a terrible thing has happened among you. 15 If it has, then you must kill with a sword everyone who lives in that city. Destroy the city completely. Kill everyone in it, as well as the animals, with a sword. 16 Gather up everything those people owned. Put it in the middle of the city square. Then completely burn the city and everything they owned. It will be a burnt offering to the Lord your God. That city should never be rebuilt. Let it be ruined forever. 17 Don’t keep any of the things found in that city for yourselves. Then the Lord will not be angry anymore. He will give you mercy. He will feel sorry for you. And he will make your nation grow larger. He promised this to your ancestors. 18 You will have obeyed the Lord your God. You will be keeping all his commands. I am giving them to you today. And you will be doing what the Lord says is right.

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Deuteronomy 13 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

13 `When there ariseth in your midst a prophet, or a dreamer of a dream, and he hath given unto thee a sign or wonder, 2 and the sign and the wonder hath come which he hath spoken of unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (which thou hast not known), and serve them, 3 thou dost not hearken un...
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Deuteronomy 13 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

13 If a prophet riseth in the midst of thee, either he that saith himself to have seen a dream, and he before-saith a sign, and a wonder to come after, (When a prophet riseth up in the midst of thee, or him who saith that he hath seen a dream, and he speaketh of a sign, or a wonder, before that it c...
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Deuteronomy 13 - World English Bible (WEB)

13 If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let’s go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let’s serve them,” 3 you shall not listen to the words of that pro...
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Deuteronomy 13 - The Voice (VOICE)

13 Moses: 1-2 Suppose someone who claims to be a prophet, or to have inspired dreams, stands up and tells all of you that some unusual, significant sign or wonder is going to happen, and also says, “I’m here to let you know about some other gods you should be worshiping.” What if the thing that pers...
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Deuteronomy 13 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Beware of False Prophets13 “Whatever I command you, you must take care to do—you are not to add to it or take away from it.[a] 2 “Suppose a prophet or a dreamer of dreams rises up among you and gives you a sign or wonder, 3 and the sign or wonder he spoke to you comes true, while saying, ‘Let’s fol...
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Deuteronomy 13 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

13 “If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that proph...
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Deuteronomy 13 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

13 “If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that proph...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

13 [a] If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents, 2 and the omens or the portents declared by them take place, and they say, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (whom you have not known) ‘and let us serve them’, 3 you must not heed the words of those proph...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

13 [a]“If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and show you omens or portents,(A)2 and the omens or the portents declared by them take place, and they say, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (whom you have not known) ‘and let us serve them,’(B)3 you must not heed the words of those prophe...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Warning against Idolatry13 [a]“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, 2 and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— 3 do not listen t...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New Life Version (NLV)

Worshiping False Gods13 “A man who tells what is going to happen or a dreamer of dreams may come among you. He may give you something special to see or do a powerful work. 2 And what he tells you will happen might come true. But if he says to you, ‘Let us follow other gods (whom you have not known)...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Punishment of Apostates13 “If there arises among you a prophet or a (A)dreamer of dreams, (B)and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and (C)the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you sh...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Worshipping other gods13 [a]If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ 3 you must not...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New International Version (NIV)

Worshiping Other Gods13 [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...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Do Not Worship Other Gods13 Suppose a prophet appears among you. Or someone comes who uses dreams to tell what’s going to happen. He tells you that a sign or something amazing is going to take place. 2 The sign or amazing thing he has spoken about might really take place. And then the prophet might...
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Deuteronomy 13 - New English Translation (NET)

13 1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams[a] should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder,[b] 2 and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods”—gods whom you have not previously known—“and let us serve them.” 3 You...
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