Deuteronomy 13:12–18

¹²“If you hear in one of your cities, which Yahweh your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that

¹³some vile men have gone out from among you and have driven the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, ‘^aLet us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),

¹⁴then you shall inquire and search out and ask thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the matter is confirmed, that this abomination has been done among you,

^15ayou shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, ¹devoting it to destruction and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.

¹⁶“^aThen you shall gather all its spoil into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh your God; and it shall be a ^1bruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt.

¹⁷“Now nothing from that which is devoted to destruction shall cling to your hand, in order that Yahweh may turn from ^aHis burning anger and ^bgrant compassion to you and show compassion to you and ^cmake you multiply, just ^das He has sworn to your fathers,

¹⁸¹if you will listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, ²keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, ³and doing what is right in the sight of Yahweh your God.