19.
Moses' charging the children of Israel concerning the apostasy
13:1-18
Deut. 13
:1
13:1
If a
aprophet or a
bdreamer of dreams stands up in your midst and gives you a sign or wonder,
Deut. 13
:2
13:2
And the sign or the wonder occurs, about which he spoke to you, saying,
1Let us go after other gods whom you have not known, and let us serve them;
Deut. 13
:3
13:3
You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for Jehovah your God is testing you in order to know whether you
alove Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deut. 13
:4
13:4
You shall follow Jehovah your God; and you shall fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and
ahold fast to Him.
Deut. 13
:5
13:5
But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has advocated apostasy from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the slave house, in order to force you out of the way in which Jehovah your God has commanded you to walk. Thus you shall
1utterly aremove the evil from your midst.
Deut. 13
:6
13:6
If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is like your
own soul
to you entice you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
Deut. 13
:7
13:7
Of the gods of the peoples who are surrounding you, those who are near you or those who are far from you, from one end of the earth to the other);
Deut. 13
:8
13:8
You shall not yield to him nor listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him; neither shall you spare
him nor conceal him;
Deut. 13
:9
13:9
But you must slay him;
ayour hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
Deut. 13
:10
13:10
And you shall
astone him with stones so that he dies, because he sought to force you away from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the slave house.
Deut. 13
:11
13:11
And all Israel
awill hear and will fear and will never do
anything like this evil thing in your midst again.
Deut. 13
:12
13:12
If you hear in one of your cities, which Jehovah your God is giving you to dwell in,
someone saying
that
Deut. 13
:13
13:13
Some worthless men have
agone out from your midst and have forced the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which you have not known);
Deut. 13
:14
13:14
Then you shall
ainvestigate and examine carefully and inquire thoroughly. And if indeed the thing is true
and certain — this abomination has been done in your midst —
Deut. 13
:15
13:15
You must slay the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its animals with the edge of the sword.
Deut. 13
:16
13:16
And all its spoil you shall gather at the middle of its open square, and you shall
aburn the city and all its spoil with fire wholly to Jehovah your God. And it shall be a
bmound only forever; it shall not be built again.
Deut. 13
:17
13:17
And nothing of what has been
acursed shall cling to your hand, in order that Jehovah may turn from His burning anger and show you tenderness and be compassionate to you and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
Deut. 13
:18
13:18
When you listen to the voice of Jehovah your God and keep all His commandments, which I am commanding you today, and do what is right in the sight of Jehovah your God.