不可拜假神
1“如果你们中间出现了先知或解梦的人，要显神迹奇事给你们看， 2劝你们随从、供奉素不认识的神明，即使他们显的神迹奇事应验了， 3你们也不可听从他们。因为这是你们的上帝耶和华在试验你们，要看看你们是否全心全意地爱祂。 4你们要跟从你们的上帝耶和华，敬畏祂，遵守祂的诫命，听从祂的话，事奉祂，倚靠祂。 5必须处死那些先知或解梦的人，因为他们怂恿你们背叛你们的上帝耶和华、偏离祂吩咐你们当走的道路。你们的上帝耶和华曾带你们离开埃及，救你们脱离奴役。你们必须清除你们当中的邪恶。
6“如果你们的兄弟、儿女、爱妻或挚友引诱你们去拜你们和你们祖先都不认识的神明， 7引诱你们去拜你们周围各族的神明，或在附近或远在天边， 8你们不可迁就、听从他们，不可怜惜他们，不可放过或包庇他们。 9必须处死他们。你们要首先下手，然后众人一起打死他们。 10你们要用石头打死他们，因为他们企图使你们背弃你们的上帝耶和华，祂曾把你们从受奴役之地——埃及领出来。 11这样，所有以色列人听了就会害怕，必无人再敢做这种恶事。
12-13“在你们的上帝耶和华将要赐给你们居住的各城中，如果你们听说某城里有恶人引诱城中的居民偏离正路，唆使他们去供奉你们不认识的神明， 14你们要认真查明真相。如果传闻属实，你们当中确有此恶行， 15你们一定要杀光那城中的居民和牲畜。 16你们要把城中的财物堆在广场中心，然后放火焚烧那城和城中的财物，作为燔祭献给你们的上帝耶和华。城要永远荒废，不可重建。 17-18你们不可保留任何应当被毁灭的东西，这样耶和华就不再向你们发怒，转而施恩怜悯你们。
“只要你们遵守我今天吩咐你们的一切诫命，做耶和华视为正的事，祂必按照祂对你们祖先所起的誓，怜悯你们，使你们人丁兴旺。
Do Not Worship Other Gods
1Suppose a prophet appears among you. Or someone comes who uses dreams to tell what’s going to happen. He tells you that a sign or something amazing is going to take place. 2The sign or amazing thing he has spoken about might really take place. And then the prophet might say, “Let’s serve other gods. Let’s worship them.” But you haven’t known anything about those gods before. 3So you must not listen to what that prophet or dreamer has said. The Lord your God is testing you. He wants to know whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4You must worship him. You must honor him. Keep his commands. Obey him. Serve him. Remain true to him. 5That prophet or dreamer must be put to death. He told you not to obey the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. He set you free from the land where you were slaves. He commanded you to live the way he wants you to. But that prophet or dreamer has tried to get you to be unfaithful to the Lord. Get rid of that evil person.
6Suppose your very own brother or sister secretly tempts you to do something wrong. Or your child or the wife you love tempts you. Or your closest friend does it. Suppose one of them says, “Let’s go and worship other gods.” But you and your people of long ago hadn’t known anything about those gods before. 7They are the gods of the nations around you. Those nations might be near or far away. In fact, they might reach from one end of the land to the other. 8Don’t give in to those who are tempting you. Don’t listen to them. Don’t feel sorry for them. Don’t spare them or save them. 9You must certainly put them to death. You must be the first to throw stones at them. Then all the people must do the same thing. 10Put them to death by throwing stones at them. They tried to turn you away from the Lord your God. He brought you out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves. 11After you kill those who tempted you, all the Israelites will hear about it. And they will be too scared to do an evil thing like that again.
12The Lord your God is giving you towns to live in. But suppose you hear something bad about one of those towns. 13You hear that people who cause trouble have appeared among you. They’ve tried to get the people of their town to do something wrong. They’ve said, “Let’s go and worship other gods.” But you haven’t known anything about those gods before. 14So you must ask people some questions. You must check out the matter carefully. If it’s true, an evil thing has really happened among you. It’s something the Lord hates. 15Then you must certainly kill with your swords everyone who lives in that town. You must destroy it completely. You must wipe out its people and livestock. 16You must gather all the goods of that town into the middle of the main street. You must burn the town completely. You must burn up everything in it. It’s a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. The town must remain a pile of stones forever. It must never be built again. 17Don’t keep anything that should be destroyed. Then the Lord will turn away from his great anger. He will show you mercy. He’ll have deep concern for you. He’ll cause there to be many of you. That’s what he promised your people of long ago. He gave his word when he made the promise. 18The Lord your God will do those things if you obey him. I’m giving you his commands today. And you must obey all of them. You must do what is right in his eyes.
