| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1 “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, | 1If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, |
| 2and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— | 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,' |
| 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. | 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. |
| 4Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, 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. |
| 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. | 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“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. | 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, |
| 7They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. | 7any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other-- |
| 8But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. | 8you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. |
| 9You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in. | 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 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. | 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 and be afraid, and no one will act so wickedly again. | 11All Israel will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer do anything evil like this among you." |
| 12“When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, you may hear | 12If you hear it said about one of your cities the LORD your God is giving you to live in, |
| 13that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before. | 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, |
| 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, | 14you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable thing has happened among you, |
| 15you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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." |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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