Deuteronomy 13
Even if a prophet's sign comes true, if he leads people to other gods, he must be rejected. An idolatrous city must be completely destroyed as a devoted thing to the Lord.
DeuteronomyChapter 13 of 3418 versesBerean Standard Bible
In this passage: Egypt
Read Deuteronomy 13 and keep notes on it in Doxa's Daily Faith Steps.
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,”
you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.
If your very own brother, 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,
the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other),
you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.
Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
Stone 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 house of slavery.
Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
If, regarding one of the cities the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,
you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.
And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.
Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments I am giving you today and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
Read next
How to Hear God’s Voice: A Practical Guide for BelieversScripture is the record of a God who speaks. This guide covers how to hear Him today and keep what He says.Cross-references for Deuteronomy 13
Deuteronomy 13:1Jeremiah 23:25
““I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’”
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Deuteronomy 13:3Deuteronomy 8:2
“Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.”
Deuteronomy 13:4Colossians 1:10
“so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”
Deuteronomy 13:4Deuteronomy 10:20
“You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.”
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, licensed CC BY.
Have a question about Deuteronomy 13?
On Doxa, you can have a personal interaction about any scripture. Ask questions, explore context, and discover connections.
Real stories about these themes
Read testimonies from real people connected to what you're reading.
Explore Related Topics
Keep notes on Deuteronomy 13
In the Doxa app, a note on any verse is kept as a step in Daily Faith Steps and shows beside that verse each time you read it again, in any translation.
