Deuteronomy 12:31 You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

Bible > Deuteronomy > Chapter 12 > Verse 31

◄ Deuteronomy 12:31 ►

New International Version
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

New Living Translation
You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.

English Standard Version
You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

Berean Standard Bible
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

New King James Version
You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not behave this way toward the LORD your God, because every abominable act which the LORD hates, they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.

NASB 1995
“You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

NASB 1977
“You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God, for every abominable act which Yahweh hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Amplified Bible
You shall not behave this way toward the LORD your God, for they have done for their gods every repulsive thing which the LORD hates; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire [as sacrifices] to their gods.

Christian Standard Bible
You must not do the same to the LORD your God, because they practice every detestable act, which the LORD hates, for their gods. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must not do the same to the LORD your God, because they practice every detestable thing, which the LORD hates, for their gods. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not do so unto Jehovah thy God: for every abomination to Jehovah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.

Contemporary English Version
No, you should not! The LORD hates the disgusting way those nations worship their gods, because they even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never worship the LORD your God in the way they worship their gods, because everything they do for their gods is disgusting to the LORD. He hates it! They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.

Good News Translation
Do not worship the LORD your God in the way they worship their gods, for in the worship of their gods they do all the disgusting things that the LORD hates. They even sacrifice their children in the fires on their altars.

International Standard Version
You must not do the same to the LORD your God, because they practiced in the presence of their gods every sort of abomination that the LORD hates. Moreover, they sacrificed their sons and daughters to their gods.

Majority Standard Bible
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

NET Bible
You must not worship the LORD your God the way they do! For everything that is abhorrent to him, everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!

New Heart English Bible
You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not do so to the LORD thy God; for every abomination to the LORD which he hateth have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

World English Bible
You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, they have done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
You do not do so to your God YHWH; for every abomination that YHWH has hated they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters with fire for their gods.

Young's Literal Translation
'Thou dost not do so to Jehovah thy God; for every abomination of Jehovah which He is hating they have done to their gods, for even their sons and their daughters they burn with fire to their gods.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not do so to Jehovah thy God; for every abomination of Jehovah which he hated they did to their gods; for also their sons and their daughters they will burn in fire to their gods.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not do in like manner to the Lord thy God. For they have done to their gods all the abominations which the Lord abhorreth, offering their sons and daughters, and burning them with fire.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not act in like manner toward the Lord your God. For they have done to their gods all the abominations that the Lord spurns, offering their sons and daughters, and burning them with fire.

New American Bible
You shall not worship the LORD, your God, that way, because they offered to their gods every abomination that the LORD detests, even burning their sons and daughters to their gods.

New Revised Standard Version
You must not do the same for the LORD your God, because every abhorrent thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods. They would even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
You shall not do so to the LORD your God; for every thing abominable to the LORD, which he hates, they have done to their gods; even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But you shall not do so to LORD JEHOVAH your God, because everything that LORD JEHOVAH despises and hates they have done for their gods, also they burned their sons and their daughters in fire for their gods.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God; for every abomination to the LORD, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt not do so to thy God; for they have sacrificed to their gods the abominations of the Lord which he hates, for they burn their sons and their daughters in fire to their gods.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

A Warning Against Idolatry
…30be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” 31You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. 32See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Leviticus 18:21
You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 20:2-5
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him. / And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name. / And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, ...

2 Kings 17:17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

2 Kings 21:6
He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

2 Kings 23:10
He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

Jeremiah 7:31
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

Jeremiah 19:5
They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

Jeremiah 32:35
They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.

Ezekiel 16:20-21
You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough? / You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.

Ezekiel 20:31
When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

Ezekiel 23:37
For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.

Psalm 106:37-38
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. / They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

2 Chronicles 28:3
Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Micah 6:7
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Treasury of Scripture

You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Thou

Deuteronomy 12:4
Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 18:9
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

Exodus 23:2
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

Deuteronomy 20:2
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

Deuteronomy 18:10
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 20:2
Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

Jump to Previous

Abominable Abomination Act Behave Burn Burned Burning Burnt Daughters Detestable Disgusting Hated Hates Hateth Honour Kinds Way Worship Worshiping

Jump to Next

Abominable Abomination Act Behave Burn Burned Burning Burnt Daughters Detestable Disgusting Hated Hates Hateth Honour Kinds Way Worship Worshiping

Deuteronomy 12

1. Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed
4. The place of God's service to be kept
15. Blood is forbidden
17. Holy things must be eaten in the holy place
19. The Levite is not to be forsaken
20. Blood is again forbidden
26. and holy things must be eaten in the holy place
29. Idolatry is not to be enquired after

Berean Study Bible

You must not worship the LORD your God in their way
This phrase serves as a direct command from God to the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of distinct and holy worship. The Hebrew word for "worship" here is "עָבַד" (avad), which means to serve or to work. This implies that worship is not merely ritualistic but involves a lifestyle of service and devotion. The phrase "in their way" refers to the Canaanite practices that were prevalent in the land. Historically, these practices were often idolatrous and morally corrupt, involving rituals that were detestable to God. The Israelites were called to be set apart, a holy nation, and this required a form of worship that was pure and in accordance with God's commandments.

because they practice for their gods every abomination
The term "abomination" is translated from the Hebrew word "תּוֹעֵבָה" (to'evah), which signifies something that is detestable or loathsome. In the context of ancient Near Eastern cultures, abominations were practices that were not only religiously offensive but also morally reprehensible. The Canaanites engaged in various forms of idolatry and immoral acts, which were considered abominations by the standards of the Mosaic Law. This phrase underscores the severity of these practices and the reason why God forbade His people from adopting them. It serves as a reminder of the holiness and righteousness that God demands from His followers.

which the LORD hates
The word "hates" is derived from the Hebrew "שָׂנֵא" (sane), indicating a strong aversion or detestation. This is not a passive dislike but an active opposition to what is evil. The LORD's hatred of these practices is rooted in His nature as a holy and just God. Throughout Scripture, God's hatred is directed towards sin and unrighteousness, which corrupt and destroy His creation. This phrase highlights the personal nature of God's response to sin, emphasizing that these practices are not merely against His laws but against His very character.

They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods
This horrific practice is a reference to child sacrifice, which was a part of some Canaanite religious rituals. The Hebrew word for "burn" is "שָׂרַף" (saraph), meaning to consume by fire. Archaeological evidence from sites like Carthage and other ancient Near Eastern locations has confirmed the existence of such practices, which were intended to appease or gain favor from deities. The phrase "as sacrifices to their gods" indicates the extreme lengths to which these cultures would go in their idolatry. This act is the epitome of the abominations mentioned earlier and serves as a stark contrast to the life-affirming worship that God desires. It underscores the value God places on human life and the abhorrence He has for practices that devalue it. This serves as a powerful reminder of the sanctity of life and the call for God's people to uphold it in their worship and daily lives.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 31. - For even their sons and their daughters have they burnt in the fire to their gods. Elsewhere the phrase used is "make to pass through the fire "(Deuteronomy 18:10), or simply "make to pass through to Molech" (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35). This has led some to maintain that the ceremony described was merely a februation, a lustration by fire, and not an actual burning alive of these victims; but there can be no doubt that both among the Ammonites and the Phoenicians, and indeed wherever the worship of Baal or Molech was followed, the offering of children in sacrifice by burning prevailed (Munter, 'Religion der Karthager,' p. 18, 2nd edit.; Selden, 'De Diis Syris Syntag,' i.e. 6, pp. 93, 257, edit. Beyer, Amst., 1680).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

You must not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

[worship]
תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה (ṯa·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the LORD
לַיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

in this way,
כֵ֔ן (ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

because
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they practice
עָשׂוּ֙ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for their gods
לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם (lê·lō·hê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

abomination
תּוֹעֲבַ֨ת (tō·w·‘ă·ḇaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8441: Something disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry, an idol

which
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֜ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

hates.
שָׂנֵ֗א (śā·nê)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8130: To hate

They even
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

burn
יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ (yiś·rə·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire

their sons
בְּנֵיהֶם֙ (bə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

and daughters
בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם (bə·nō·ṯê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter

in the fire
בָאֵ֖שׁ (ḇā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

[as sacrifices] to their gods.
לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ (lê·lō·hê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

Links

Deuteronomy 12:31 NIV
Deuteronomy 12:31 NLT
Deuteronomy 12:31 ESV
Deuteronomy 12:31 NASB
Deuteronomy 12:31 KJV

Deuteronomy 12:31 BibleApps.com
Deuteronomy 12:31 Biblia Paralela
Deuteronomy 12:31 Chinese Bible
Deuteronomy 12:31 French Bible
Deuteronomy 12:31 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Deuteronomy 12:31 You shall not do so to Yahweh (Deut. De Du)