| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1 "A prophet or a diviner of dreams may arise among you, give you an omen or a miracle | 1If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, |
| 2that takes place, and then he may tell you, 'Let's follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let's serve them.' Even though the sign or portent comes to pass, | 2and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, 'Let us follow other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us worship them,' |
| 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or that diviner of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to make known whether or not you'll continue to love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. | 3do not listen to that prophet's words or to that dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul. |
| 4You must follow the LORD your God, fear him, observe his commandments, listen to his voice, serve him, and cling to him. | 4You must follow the LORD your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. |
| 5That prophet or diviner of dreams must be executed, because he advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and because he lured you from the way in which the LORD your God instructed you to live. Purge the evil from among you." | 5That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you." |
| 6"Your own blood brother, your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your friend who is like your soul mate may entice you quietly. He may tell you, 'Let's go and serve other gods,' (whom neither you nor your ancestors have known | 6If your brother, the son of your mother, 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, |
| 7from the gods of the people that surround you—whether near or far from you—from one end of the earth to the other). | 7any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other-- |
| 8You must not yield to him, listen to him, look with pity on him, show compassion to him, or even cover up for him. | 8you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. |
| 9But you must surely execute him. You must be the first to put him to death with your own hand, and then the hands of the whole community. | 9Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people. |
| 10Stone him to death, because he sought to lure you from the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the land of slavery. | 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 place of slavery. |
| 11Then all Israel will hear about it, be afraid, and won't do this evil thing again among you. | 11All Israel will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer do anything evil like this among you." |
| 12"You may hear in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit | 12If you hear it said about one of your cities the LORD your God is giving you to live in, |
| 13that worthless men have come from among you to entice those who live in the towns. They may say, 'Let's go and serve other gods that you haven't known.' | 13that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, 'Let us go and worship other gods,' which you have not known, |
| 14You must thoroughly investigate and inquire if it is true that this detestable thing exists among you. If it is so, | 14you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable thing has happened among you, |
| 15then put the inhabitants of the town to death by the sword. Devote everything in it to divine destruction—even its livestock—by the sword. | 15you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword. |
| 16Gather whatever you've taken as spoils at the public square of the town, then burn the town, along with whatever you've taken, as an offering to the LORD your God. It will remain a permanent mound of ruins, never to be rebuilt again. | 16You are to gather all its spoil in the middle of the city square and completely burn up the city and all its spoil for the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever; it is not to be rebuilt. |
| 17Moreover, you must never take any item from those condemned things, so the LORD may yet relent from his burning anger and extend compassion, have mercy, and cause you to increase in number—as he promised by an oath to your ancestors— | 17Nothing set apart for destruction is to remain in your hand, so that the LORD will turn from His burning anger and grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers. |
| 18if you obey the voice of the LORD your God by observing all his commands that I'm commanding you today. Do what is right in the sight of the LORD your God." | 18This will occur if you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commands I am giving you today, doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God." |
|
