Deuteronomy 13

Worshiping Other Gods

1 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 listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death 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 you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil 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 you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (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 to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them.
9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand 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 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, 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 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. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,
15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,[a] both its people and its livestock.
16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt,
17 and none of the condemned things[b] are to be found in your hands. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised 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 in his eyes.

Cross References 36

  • 1. Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:9
  • 2. S Genesis 20:3; Jeremiah 23:25; Jeremiah 27:9; Jeremiah 29:8
  • 3. Deuteronomy 18:22; 1 Samuel 2:34; 1 Samuel 10:9; 2 Kings 19:29; 2 Kings 20:9; Isaiah 7:11
  • 4. ver 6,13; S Deuteronomy 11:28
  • 5. 2 Peter 2:1
  • 6. 1 Samuel 28:6,15
  • 7. S Genesis 22:1; 1 Kings 13:18; 1 Kings 22:22-23; Jeremiah 29:31; Jeremiah 43:2; Ezekiel 13:9; 1 Corinthians 11:19; Deuteronomy 8:2,16
  • 8. Deuteronomy 6:5
  • 9. 2 Kings 23:3; 2 Chronicles 34:31; 2 John 1:6
  • 10. S Deuteronomy 6:13; S Psalms 5:7
  • 11. S Deuteronomy 10:20
  • 12. S Exodus 21:12; S Exodus 22:20
  • 13. ver 10; Deuteronomy 4:19
  • 14. Deuteronomy 17:7,12; Deuteronomy 19:19; Deuteronomy 24:7; Judges 20:13; S 1 Corinthians 5:13
  • 15. Deuteronomy 17:2-7; Deuteronomy 29:18
  • 16. S Deuteronomy 11:28
  • 17. Proverbs 1:10
  • 18. S Deuteronomy 7:2
  • 19. ver 5; Deuteronomy 17:5,7
  • 20. S Leviticus 24:14
  • 21. S Exodus 20:3
  • 22. Deuteronomy 17:13; Deuteronomy 19:20; Deuteronomy 21:21; 1 Timothy 5:20
  • 23. ver 2,6; Judges 19:22; Judges 20:13; 1 Samuel 2:12; 1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Samuel 11:12; 1 Samuel 25:17; 1 Kings 21:10; 1 John 2:19
  • 24. Judges 20:12
  • 25. Deuteronomy 17:4
  • 26. Isaiah 24:6; Isaiah 34:5; Isaiah 43:28; Isaiah 47:6; Lamentations 2:6; Daniel 9:11; Zechariah 8:13; Malachi 4:6
  • 27. Exodus 22:20
  • 28. 2 Kings 25:9; Jeremiah 39:8; Jeremiah 52:13; Ezekiel 16:41
  • 29. Deuteronomy 7:25,26; Joshua 6:24
  • 30. Joshua 8:28; Isaiah 7:16; Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 24:10; Isaiah 25:2; Isaiah 27:10; Isaiah 32:14,19; Isaiah 37:26; Jeremiah 49:2; Micah 1:6
  • 31. Exodus 32:12; Numbers 25:4
  • 32. S Genesis 43:14
  • 33. Deuteronomy 30:3
  • 34. S Deuteronomy 7:13
  • 35. S Genesis 12:2; S Genesis 13:14; S Genesis 26:24; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 26:4,24; Genesis 28:14
  • 36. S Deuteronomy 12:25; Deuteronomy 12:25,28

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  • [b]. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

Deuteronomy 13 Commentaries

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