Idolaters to Be Put to Death 2 DRA And that come to pass which he spoke, and he say to thee: Let us go and follow strange gods, which thou knowest not, and let us serve them: BSB BSB: and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,”
3 DRA Thou shalt not hear the words of that prophet or dreamer: for the Lord your God trieth you, that it may appear whether you love him with all your heart, and with all your soul, or not. BSB BSB: you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 DRA Follow the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and hear his voice: him you shall serve, and to him you shall cleave. BSB BSB: You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
5 DRA And that prophet or forger of dreams shall be slain: because he spoke to draw you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage: to make thee go out of the way, which the Lord thy God commanded thee: and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee. BSB BSB: Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.
6 DRA If thy brother the son of thy mother, or thy son, or daughter, or thy wife that is in thy bosom, or thy friend, whom thou lovest as thy own soul, would persuade thee secretly, saying: Let us go, and serve strange gods, which thou knowest not, nor thy fathers, BSB BSB: If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
7 DRA Of all the nations round about, that are near or afar off, from one end of the earth to the other, BSB BSB: the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other),
8 DRA Consent not to him, hear him not, neither let thy eye spare him to pity and conceal him, BSB BSB: you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.
9 DRA But thou shalt presently put him to death. It Let thy hand be first upon him, and afterwards the hands of all the people. BSB BSB: Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
10 DRA With stones shall he be stoned to death: because he would have withdrawn thee from the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage: BSB BSB: Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
11 DRA That all Israel hearing may fear, and may do no more any thing like this. BSB BSB: Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
Idolatrous Cities to Be Destroyed 12 DRA If in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God shall give thee to dwell in, thou hear some say: BSB BSB: If, regarding one of the cities the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said
13 DRA Children of Belial are gone out of the midst of thee, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, and have said: Let us go, and serve strange gods which you know not: BSB BSB: that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
14 DRA Inquire carefully and diligently, the truth of the thing by looking well into it, and if thou find that which is said to be certain, and that this abomination hath been really committed, BSB BSB: then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,
15 DRA Thou shalt forthwith kill the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, and shalt destroy it and all things that are in it, even the cattle. BSB BSB: you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.
16 DRA And all the household goods that are there, thou shalt gather together in the midst of the streets thereof, and shalt burn them with the city itself, so as to consume all for the Lord thy God, and that it be a heap for ever: it shall be built no more. BSB BSB: And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.
17 DRA And there shall nothing of that anathema stick to thy hand: that the Lord may turn from the wrath of his fury, and may have mercy on thee, and multiply thee as he swore to thy fathers, BSB BSB: Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
18 DRA When thou shalt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, keeping all his precepts, which I command thee this day, that thou mayst do what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord thy God. BSB BSB: because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments I am giving you today and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.