6
"Even your brother or your son or your daughter or the wife you love or your closest friend may secretly encourage you to worship other gods, gods that you and your ancestors have never worshiped.
7
Some of them may encourage you to worship the gods of the people who live near you or the gods of those who live far away.
8
But do not let any of them persuade you; do not even listen to them. Show them no mercy or pity, and do not protect them.
9
Kill them! Be the first to stone them, and then let everyone else stone them too.
10
Stone them to death! They tried to lead you away from the Lord your God, who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves.
11
Then all the people of Israel will hear what happened; they will be afraid, and no one will ever again do such an evil thing.
12
"When you are living in the towns that the Lord your God gives you, you may hear
13
that some worthless people of your nation have misled the people of their town to worship gods that you have never worshiped before.
14
If you hear such a rumor, investigate it thoroughly; and if it is true that this evil thing did happen,
15
then kill all the people in that town and all their livestock too. Destroy that town completely.
16
Bring together all the possessions of the people who live there and pile them up in the town square. Then burn the town and everything in it as an offering to the Lord your God. It must be left in ruins forever and never again be rebuilt.