The Bible

Deuteronomy Chapter 13

¹If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ²and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, "Let's go after other gods" (which you have not known) "and let's serve them," ³don't listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul. ⁴Walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. Serve him, and cling to him. ⁵That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, must be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to turn you aside from the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. Remove the evil from among you.

⁶If 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's go and serve other gods"- which you have not known, you, nor your fathers; ⁷of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you, or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth- ⁸don't consent to him or listen to him, or let your eye pity him. Do not spare, or conceal him; ⁹but you must surely kill him. Your hand will be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. ¹⁰Stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ¹¹All Israel will hear, and fear, and mustn't do any more wickedness like this among you.

¹²If you hear about one of your cities, which Yahweh your God is giving you to live in, that ¹³certain wicked fellows have gone out from among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let's go and serve other gods," which you have not known, ¹⁴then inquire, investigate, and ask diligently. Look, if it is true, [and you're] certain that the abomination was done among [you], ¹⁵surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. Destroy it utterly, with all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword. ¹⁶Gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and burn with fire the city, with all of its plunder, to Yahweh your God. It is to be a heap forever. It won't be built again. ¹⁷Don't let anything from the devoted thing remain in your hand, so that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he has sworn to your fathers, ¹⁸when you listen to Yahweh your God's voice, to keep all his commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in Yahweh your God's eyes.