Bible Gateway passage: Deuteronomy 13 - New International Version (2024)

Worshiping Other Gods

13^[a]If a prophet,^(A) or one who foretells by dreams,^(B) appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, ²and 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,” ³you must not listen to the words of that prophet^(E) or dreamer.^(F) The Lord your God is testing^(G) you to find out whether you love^(H) him with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴It is the Lord your God you must follow,^(I) and him you must revere.^(J) Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast^(K) to him. ⁵That prophet or dreamer must be put to death^(L) 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^(M) you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil^(N) from among you.

⁶If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices^(O) you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods”^(P) (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, ⁷gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), ⁸do not yield^(Q) to them or listen to them. Show them no pity.^(R) Do not spare them or shield them. ⁹You must certainly put them to death.^(S) Your hand^(T) must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. ¹⁰Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away^(U) from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹¹Then all Israel will hear and be afraid,^(V) and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.

¹²If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in ¹³that troublemakers^(W) 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), ¹⁴then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.^(X) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,^{(Y) 15}you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,^[b](Z) both its people and its livestock.^{(AA) 16}You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town^(AB) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.^(AC) That town is to remain a ruin^(AD) forever, never to be rebuilt, ¹⁷and none of the condemned things^[c] are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger,^(AE) will show you mercy,^(AF) and will have compassion^(AG) on you. He will increase your numbers,^(AH) as he promised^(AI) on oath to your ancestors— ¹⁸because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right^(AJ) in his eyes.

Footnotes

1. Deuteronomy 13:1 In Hebrew texts 13:1-18 is numbered 13:2-19.
2. Deuteronomy 13:15 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
3. Deuteronomy 13:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

Cross references

1. Deuteronomy 13:1 : Mt 24:24; Mk 13:22; 2Th 2:9
2. Deuteronomy 13:1 : S Ge 20:3; Jer 23:25; 27:9; 29:8
3. Deuteronomy 13:2 : Dt 18:22; 1Sa 2:34; 10:9; 2Ki 19:29; 20:9; Isa 7:11
4. Deuteronomy 13:2 : S Dt 11:28
5. Deuteronomy 13:3 : 2Pe 2:1
6. Deuteronomy 13:3 : 1Sa 28:6, 15
7. Deuteronomy 13:3 : S Ge 22:1; 1Ki 13:18; 22:22-23; Jer 29:31; 43:2; Eze 13:9; 1Co 11:19
8. Deuteronomy 13:3 : Dt 6:5
9. Deuteronomy 13:4 : 2Ki 23:3; 2Ch 34:31; 2Jn 1:6
10. Deuteronomy 13:4 : S Dt 6:13; S Ps 5:7
11. Deuteronomy 13:4 : S Dt 10:20
12. Deuteronomy 13:5 : S Ex 21:12; S 22:20
13. Deuteronomy 13:5 : ver 10; Dt 4:19
14. Deuteronomy 13:5 : Dt 17:7, 12; 19:19; 24:7; Jdg 20:13; S 1Co 5:13
15. Deuteronomy 13:6 : Dt 17:2-7; 29:18
16. Deuteronomy 13:6 : S Dt 11:28
17. Deuteronomy 13:8 : Pr 1:10
18. Deuteronomy 13:8 : S Dt 7:2
19. Deuteronomy 13:9 : ver 5
20. Deuteronomy 13:9 : S Lev 24:14
21. Deuteronomy 13:10 : S Ex 20:3
22. Deuteronomy 13:11 : Dt 17:13; 19:20; 21:21; 1Ti 5:20
23. Deuteronomy 13:13 : ver 2, 6; Jdg 19:22; 20:13; 1Sa 2:12; 10:27; 11:12; 25:17; 1Ki 21:10
24. Deuteronomy 13:14 : Jdg 20:12
25. Deuteronomy 13:14 : Dt 17:4
26. Deuteronomy 13:15 : Isa 24:6; 34:5; 43:28; 47:6; La 2:6; Da 9:11; Zec 8:13; Mal 4:6
27. Deuteronomy 13:15 : Ex 22:20
28. Deuteronomy 13:16 : 2Ki 25:9; Jer 39:8; 52:13; Eze 16:41
29. Deuteronomy 13:16 : Dt 7:25, 26; Jos 6:24
30. Deuteronomy 13:16 : Jos 8:28; Isa 7:16; 17:1; 24:10; 25:2; 27:10; 32:14, 19; 37:26; Jer 49:2; Mic 1:6
31. Deuteronomy 13:17 : Ex 32:12; Nu 25:4
32. Deuteronomy 13:17 : S Ge 43:14
33. Deuteronomy 13:17 : Dt 30:3
34. Deuteronomy 13:17 : S Dt 7:13
35. Deuteronomy 13:17 : S Ge 12:2; S 13:14; S 26:24
36. Deuteronomy 13:18 : S Dt 12:25