Deuteronomy 13 - New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Chapter 13

Penalties for Enticing to Idolatry. 1 Every word that I command you, you shall be careful to observe, neither adding to it nor subtracting from it.

2 (A)If there arises in your midst a prophet or a dreamer[a] who promises you a sign or wonder, 3 saying, “Let us go after other gods,” whom you have not known, “and let us serve them,” and the sign or wonder foretold to you comes to pass, 4 do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer; for the Lord, your God, is testing you to know whether you really love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and soul.(B) 5 The Lord, your God, shall you follow, and him shall you fear; his commandments shall you observe, and to his voice shall you listen; him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast.(C) 6 But that prophet or that dreamer shall be put to death, because, in order to lead you astray from the way which the Lord, your God, has commanded you to take, the prophet or dreamer has spoken apostasy against the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst.(D)

7 If your brother, your father’s child or your mother’s child, your son or daughter, your beloved spouse, or your intimate friend entices you secretly, saying, “Come, let us serve other gods,” whom you and your ancestors have not known, 8 any of the gods of the surrounding peoples, near to you or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: 9 do not yield or listen to any such person; show no pity or compassion and do not shield such a one,(E) 10 (F)but kill that person. Your hand shall be the first raised to put such a one to death; the hand of all the people shall follow. 11 You shall stone that person to death, for seeking to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 12 And all Israel shall hear of it and fear, and never again do such evil as this in your midst.(G)

13 If you hear it said concerning one of the cities which the Lord, your God, gives you to dwell in, 14 that certain scoundrels have sprung up in your midst and have led astray the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Come, let us serve other gods,” whom you have not known, 15 you must inquire carefully into the matter and investigate it thoroughly. If you find that it is true and an established fact that this abomination has been committed in your midst,(H) 16 (I)you shall put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, placing the city and all that is in it, even its livestock, under the ban. 17 Having heaped up all its spoils in the middle of its square, you shall burn the city with all its spoils as a whole burnt offering to the Lord, your God. Let it be a heap of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt. 18 You shall not hold on to anything that is under the ban; then the Lord will turn from his burning anger and show you mercy, and in showing you mercy multiply you as he swore to your ancestors, 19 because you have listened to the voice of the Lord, your God, keeping all his commandments, which I give you today, doing what is right in the sight of the Lord, your God.

Footnotes

  1. 13:2, 4, 6 Dreamer: a false prophet who pretended to have received revelations from God in a dream; cf. Jer 23:25–32; 27:9; Zec 10:2. But dreams could also be a means of true prophecy (Nm 12:6; Jl 3:1) and of genuine revelations (Gn 20:3, 6; 31:11, 24; 37:5, 9; Mt 1:20; 2:12, 13, 19; etc.).

Cross references

  1. 13:2–19 : Dt 6:4, 14–15; 17:2–7.
  2. 13:4 : Dt 8:2, 16.
  3. 13:5 : Dt 6:4–5; 10:20; 11:22.
  4. 13:6 : Dt 17:7, 12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21–22, 24; 24:7; Jer 28:16; 29:32.
  5. 13:9 : Dt 7:16; 19:13, 21; 25:12.
  6. 13:10–11 : Dt 17:5–7; 21:21; 22:20–24; Jos 7:25–26; 1 Kgs 21:13–14.
  7. 13:12 : Dt 17:13; 21:21.
  8. 13:15 : Dt 17:4; 19:18.
  9. 13:16–17 : Dt 20:16–18; Jos 6:17, 24; 7:25–26; 8:28.

You Might Also Like:

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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)...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More