| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, | 1 “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, |
| 2and 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,” | 2and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— |
| 3you 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. | 3do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. |
| 4You 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. | 4Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. |
| 5Such 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. | 5The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. |
| 6If 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, | 6“Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. |
| 7the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other), | 7They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. |
| 8you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. | 8But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. |
| 9Instead, 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. | 9You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in. |
| 10Stone 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. | 10Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery. |
| 11Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you. | 11Then all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and no one will act so wickedly again. |
| 12If, regarding one of the cities the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said | 12“When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, you may hear |
| 13that 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), | 13that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before. |
| 14then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you, | 14In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you, |
| 15you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock. | 15you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. |
| 16And 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. | 16Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. |
| 17Nothing 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, | 17Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors. |
| 18because 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. | 18“The LORD your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him. |
|
