Deuteronomy 13 – NIRV & CCBT

New International Reader’s Version

Deuteronomy 13:1-18

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.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

申命記 13:1-18

不可拜假神

1「如果你們中間出現了先知或解夢的人,要顯神蹟奇事給你們看, 2勸你們隨從、供奉素不認識的神明,即使他們顯的神蹟奇事應驗了, 3你們也不可聽從他們。因為這是你們的上帝耶和華在試驗你們,要看看你們是否全心全意地愛祂。 4你們要跟從你們的上帝耶和華,敬畏祂,遵守祂的誡命,聽從祂的話,事奉祂,倚靠祂。 5必須處死那些先知或解夢的人,因為他們慫恿你們背叛你們的上帝耶和華、偏離祂吩咐你們當走的道路。你們的上帝耶和華曾帶你們離開埃及,救你們脫離奴役。你們必須清除你們當中的邪惡。

6「如果你們的兄弟、兒女、愛妻或摯友引誘你們去拜你們和你們祖先都不認識的神明, 7引誘你們去拜你們周圍各族的神明,或在附近或遠在天邊, 8你們不可遷就、聽從他們,不可憐惜他們,不可放過或包庇他們。 9必須處死他們。你們要首先下手,然後眾人一起打死他們。 10你們要用石頭打死他們,因為他們企圖使你們背棄你們的上帝耶和華,祂曾把你們從受奴役之地——埃及領出來。 11這樣,所有以色列人聽了就會害怕,必無人再敢做這種惡事。

12-13「在你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們居住的各城中,如果你們聽說某城裡有惡人引誘城中的居民偏離正路,唆使他們去供奉你們不認識的神明, 14你們要認真查明真相。如果傳聞屬實,你們當中確有此惡行, 15你們一定要殺光那城中的居民和牲畜。 16你們要把城中的財物堆在廣場中心,然後放火焚燒那城和城中的財物,作為燔祭獻給你們的上帝耶和華。城要永遠荒廢,不可重建。 17-18你們不可保留任何應當被毀滅的東西,這樣耶和華就不再向你們發怒,轉而施恩憐憫你們。

「只要你們遵守我今天吩咐你們的一切誡命,做耶和華視為正的事,祂必按照祂對你們祖先所起的誓,憐憫你們,使你們人丁興旺。