Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 "If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
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One of your people, claiming to be a prophet or to have prophetic dreams, may predict a miraculous sign or an amazing thing.
2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, `Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them,'
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What he predicts may even take place. But don't listen to that prophet or dreamer if he says, "Let's worship and serve other gods." (Those gods may be gods you've never heard of.)
3 thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is proving you to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
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The LORD your God is testing you to find out if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him and cleave unto Him.
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Worship the LORD your God, fear him, obey his commands, listen to what he says, serve him, and be loyal to him.
5 And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
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That prophet or dreamer must be put to death because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and freed you from slavery. He was trying to lead you away from following the directions the LORD your God gave you. You must get rid of this evil.
6 "If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend who is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, `Let us go and serve other gods,' which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers
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Your own brother, son, or daughter, the wife you love, or your best friend may secretly tempt you, saying, "Let's go worship other gods." (Those gods may be gods that you and your ancestors never knew.
7 (namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth),
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They may be the gods of the people around you, who live near or far, from one end of the land to the other.)
8 thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him;
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Don't be influenced by any of these people or listen to them. Have no pity on them. Don't feel sorry for them or protect them.
9 but thou shalt surely kill him. Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
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You must put them to death. You must start the execution. Then all the other people will join you in putting them to death.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die, because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
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Stone them to death because they were trying to lead you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
11 And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
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All Israel will hear about it and be afraid. Then no one among you will ever do such a wicked thing again.
12 "If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
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You may hear that the residents in one of the cities which the LORD your God is giving you to live in
13 `Certain men, the children of Belial, have gone out from among you and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," which ye have not known,'
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have been led away from the LORD your God by worthless people. You may hear that these people have been saying, "Let's worship other gods." (Those gods may be gods you've never heard of.)
14 then shalt thou inquire, and make a search and ask diligently; and behold, if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you,
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Then make a thorough investigation. If it is true, and you can prove that this disgusting thing has been done among you,
15 thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
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you must kill the residents of that city with swords and destroy that city and everyone in it, including the animals, because they are claimed by God.
16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city and all the spoil thereof every whit for the LORD thy God. And it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
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Gather their goods into the middle of the city square. Then burn their city and all their goods as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. It must remain a mound of ruins and never be rebuilt.
17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show thee mercy and have compassion upon thee and multiply thee, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers,
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Don't ever take any of the things claimed for destruction. Then the LORD will stop being angry and will show you mercy. In his mercy he will make your population increase, as he swore to your ancestors.
18 when thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God to keep all His commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
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The LORD your God will do this if you listen to him, obey all the commands that I'm giving you today, and do what he considers right.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.