Deuteronomy 13

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 "Every command that I enjoin on you, you shall be careful to observe, neither adding to it nor subtracting from it.	1 "If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer who promises you a sign or wonder,	2 and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,'
3 urging you to follow other gods, whom you have not known, and to serve them: even though the sign or wonder he has foretold you comes to pass,	3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 pay no attention to the words of that prophet or that dreamer; for the LORD, your God, is testing you to learn whether you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul.	4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and cleave to him.
5 The LORD, your God, shall you follow, and him shall you fear; his commandment shall you observe, and his voice shall you heed, serving him and holding fast to him alone.	5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from the midst of you.
6 But that prophet or that dreamer shall be put to death, because, in order to lead you astray from the way which the LORD, your God, has directed you to take, he has preached apostasy from the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and ransomed you from that place of slavery. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst.	6 "If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which neither you nor your fathers have known,
7 "If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or your intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known,	7 some of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other,
8 gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other:	8 you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him;
9 do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him,	9 but you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
10 but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you.	10 You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
11 You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.	11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.
12 And all Israel, hearing of it, shall fear and never again do such evil as this in your midst.	12 "If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell there,
13 "If, in any of the cities which the LORD, your God, gives you to dwell in, you hear it said	13 that certain base fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of the city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known,
14 that certain scoundrels have sprung up among you and have led astray the inhabitants of their city to serve other gods whom you have not known,	14 then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently; and behold, if it be true and certain that such an abominable thing has been done among you,
15 you must inquire carefully into the matter and investigate it thoroughly. If you find that it is true and an established fact that this abomination has been committed in your midst,	15 you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, destroying it utterly, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
16 you shall put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, dooming the city and all life that is in it, even its cattle, to the sword.	16 You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square, and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; it shall be a heap for ever, it shall not be built again.
17 Having heaped up all its spoils in the middle of its square, you shall burn the city with all its spoils as a whole burnt offering to the LORD, your God. Let it be a heap of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.	17 None of the devoted things shall cleave to your hand; that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show you mercy, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers,
18 You shall not retain anything that is doomed, that the blazing wrath of the LORD may die down and he may show you mercy and in his mercy for you may multiply you as he promised your fathers on oath;	18 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all his commandments which I command you this day, and doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God.
19 because you have heeded the voice of the LORD, your God, keeping all his commandments which I enjoin on you today, doing what is right in his sight.