| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, | 1If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, |
| 2and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, "Let us follow other gods"--gods whom you have not previously known--"and let us serve them." | 2and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," |
| 3You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the LORD your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being. | 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. |
| 4You must follow the LORD your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him. | 4It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. |
| 5As for that prophet or dreamer, he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within. | 5That prophet or dreamer must be put to death 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 you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you. |
| 6Suppose your own full brother, your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have previously known, | 6If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, |
| 7the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other). | 7gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), |
| 8You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him. | 8do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. |
| 9Instead, you must kill him without fail! Your own hand must be the first to strike him, and then the hands of the whole community. | 9You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. |
| 10You must stone him to death because he tried to entice you away from the LORD your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. | 10Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. |
| 11Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you. | 11Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. |
| 12Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you as a place to live, that | 12If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in |
| 13some evil people have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, saying, "Let's go and serve other gods" (whom you have not known before). | 13that troublemakers 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), |
| 14You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you, | 14then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, |
| 15you must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock. | 15you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. |
| 16You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It will be an abandoned ruin forever--it must never be rebuilt again. | 16You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, |
| 17You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment. Then the LORD will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors. | 17and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors-- |
| 18Thus you must obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving you today and doing what is right before him. | 18because you obey the LORD your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes. |
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