1 “Everything I am commanding you, you are to take care to do. Do not add to it or subtract from it.
2 “If a prophet or someone who gets messages while dreaming arises among you and he gives you a sign or wonder,
3 and the sign or wonder comes about as he predicted when he said, ‘Let’s follow other gods, which you have not known; and let us serve them,’
4 you are not to listen to what that prophet or dreamer says. ForAdonaiyour God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do loveAdonaiyour God with all your heart and being.
5 You are to followAdonaiyour God, fear him, obey hismitzvot, listen to what he says, serve him and cling to him;
6 and that prophet or dreamer is to be put to death; because he urged rebellion againstAdonaiyour God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from a life of slavery; in order to seduce you away from the pathAdonaiyour God ordered you to follow. This is how you are to rid your community of this wickedness.
7 “If your brother the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or your wife whom you love, or your friend who means as much to you as yourself, secretly tries to entice you to go and serve other gods, which you haven’t known, neither you nor your ancestors —
8 gods of the peoples surrounding you, whether near or far away from you, anywhere in the world —
9 you are not to consent, and you are not to listen to him; and you must not pity him or spare him; and you may not conceal him.
10 Rather, you must kill him! Your own hand must be the first one on him in putting him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people.
11 You are to stone him to death; because he has tried to draw you away fromAdonaiyour God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery.
12 Then all Isra’el will hear about it and be afraid, so that they will stop doing such wickedness as this among themselves.
13 “If you hear it told that in one of your cities whichAdonaiyour God is giving you to live in,
14 certain scoundrels have sprung up among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city by saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods, which you haven’t known,’
15 then you are to investigate the matter, inquiring and searching diligently. If the rumor is true, if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done among you,
16 you must put the inhabitants of that city to death with the sword, destroying it completely with the sword, everything in it, including its livestock.
17 Heap all its spoils in an open space, and burn the city with its spoils to the ground forAdonaiyour God; it will remain atelforever and not be built again —
18 none of what has been set apart for destruction is to stay in your hands. ThenAdonaiwill turn from his fierce anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and increase your numbers, as he swore to your ancestors —
19 provided you listen to whatAdonaisays and obey all hismitzvotthat I am giving you today, thus doing whatAdonaiyour God sees as right.