Deuteronomy 13
The full text of Deuteronomy 13 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 If a prophet or someone who interprets dreams appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder,
2 and if the sign or wonder he spoke of takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them,"
3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known,
7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other),
8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them.
9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people.
10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in
13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known),
14 then you must inquire, probe, and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,
15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.
16 You are to gather all its plunder into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt.
17 None of the things devoted to destruction is to be found in your hands, so that the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and show you mercy. In his mercy he will increase your numbers, as he promised your ancestors on oath—
18 because you obey the LORD your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.
Translation notes (10)
- Deuteronomy 13:1a Versification seam: this verse is 13:1 in the canonical English (Masoretic-following) editions but 13:2 in the Hebrew (Masoretic Text) chapter division, since the Hebrew chapter 13 begins one verse earlier (Heb 13:1 = English 12:32). The canonical English numbering is followed here.
- Deuteronomy 13:3a The Hebrew phrase menasseh YHWH 'eloheikhem 'etkhem, translated "the LORD your God is testing you," indicates that a true-seeming sign or wonder is permitted as a test of covenant loyalty. The standard for this loyalty is love for the LORD "with all your heart and with all your soul" (compare Deuteronomy 6:5).
- Deuteronomy 13:5a The Hebrew phrase dibber sarah, translated "preached rebellion," means to incite apostasy against the covenant LORD. The death penalty for a false prophet who entices to idolatry is stated plainly here.
- Deuteronomy 13:6a This verse uses the phrase "Your brother, the son of your mother" to refer to the closest family and household members, such as a maternal half-brother, a child, your wife, or a friend who is like your own self. The law addresses the serious issue of close family members encouraging idolatry; its severity and ethical implications are reserved for further scholarly review.
- Deuteronomy 13:8a This verse lists five prohibitions—"do not consent, do not listen, your eye shall not pity, do not spare, do not conceal"—which command that the person who incites others to idolatry should receive no mercy and not be hidden. The severity of this command is reserved for further scholarly review.
- Deuteronomy 13:9a The phrase "Your hand shall be first against him" means that the person who was enticed must be the first to participate in the execution of the close family member who incited apostasy. This is one of the harshest commands in the Torah; its ethics and theology are not decided in this draft and are reserved for further scholarly review.
- Deuteronomy 13:13a The word "Troublemakers" translates the Hebrew phrase benei beliyya'al, which literally means "sons of worthlessness"—referring to scoundrels or lawless men. This phrase later developed into a name for the personified power of evil.
- Deuteronomy 13:15a The phrase "Destroy it completely" translates the Hebrew verb of ḥerem (hacharem), which means dedicating the town to complete and irreversible destruction for the LORD. The command for ḥerem against an apostate city is stated clearly; its ethics and theology are not decided in this draft and are reserved for further scholarly review.
- Deuteronomy 13:16a The phrase "As a whole burnt offering" (kalil) means that the destroyed apostate town is treated as a total offering completely consumed for the LORD. The Hebrew phrase teil 'olam means "a ruin forever," indicating a permanent mound that is never rebuilt.
- Deuteronomy 13:17a "The things devoted to destruction" refers to the ḥerem, meaning that taking any of the banned spoils would cause Israel itself to fall under the ḥerem. Renouncing these items is the condition for the LORD's compassion and the renewed promise of many descendants (compare Deuteronomy 7:13).
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own translation of Scripture, made directly from the original Hebrew rather than revised from an older English Bible. Completed in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation available, and it is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Reading the TBV here on the web is free — the full study edition, with original-language tools and notes on every verse, lives in the Trinity Bible app.
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