Deuteronomy 13

Moses warns the Israelites against following false gods and prophets.

Deuteronomy, 13

18
verses
2
min

Bible version

The Warnings Against

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
14 Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

Commentary

Deuteronomy 13 is a chapter that speaks to the importance of following God’s commands and the consequences of not doing so. The chapter begins by warning the Israelites not to be deceived by false prophets or dreamers who would lead them astray. It is clear that God is the only one who should be followed and obeyed. The chapter then goes on to describe the consequences of following false prophets. It states that the false prophet should be put to death and that the people of the city should not even spare the false prophet’s family. This is a strong warning to the Israelites to remain faithful to God and not be swayed by false prophets. The chapter also speaks to the importance of not tolerating idolatry in the land. It states that if a city is found to be practicing idolatry, it should be destroyed and its inhabitants killed. This is a reminder to the Israelites to remain faithful to God and not be tempted by the false gods of the nations around them. Finally, the chapter speaks to the importance of remaining faithful to God even when it is difficult. It states that even if a family member or close friend tries to lead the Israelites astray, they should not be tolerated. This is a reminder to the Israelites to remain faithful to God no matter what. Overall, Deuteronomy 13 is a powerful reminder to the Israelites to remain faithful to God and not be swayed by false prophets or idols. It is a reminder that God is the only one who should be followed and obeyed and that there are serious consequences for not doing so.

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FAQ

Assuming a reader with an average reading speed of 300 WPM reads the Deuteronomy, chapter 13 it would take approximately 2 minutes to finish.

There are 18 verses in Deuteronomy, chapter 13.