^13:12Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that ^13:13some evil people¹⁷ have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities,¹⁸ saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before).¹⁹^13:14You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,²⁰^13:15you must by all means²¹ slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate²² with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock.

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Footnotes

17 Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (béliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples ( ). Cf. , “scoundrels”; , “worthless people”; “worthless rabble.”
18 The and read “your” for the ’s “their.”
19 The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.
20 Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.
21 The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “by all means.” Cf. , “surely”; “certainly.”
22 Or “put under divine judgment. The Hebrew word (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to placing persons or things under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. Though primarily applied against the heathen, this severe judgment could also fall upon unrepentant Israelites (cf. the story of Achan in Josh 7). See also the note on the phrase “divine judgment” in .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 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), 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, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“If you hear it said about one of your cities the Lord your God is giving you to live in, that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known, you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done among you, you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword.

NLTNew Living Translation

“When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, you may hear that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“If you hear in one of your towns which Yahweh your God is giving to you to live in, someone saying that worthless men have gone out from your midst and have seduced the inhabitants of their town, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods!’ whom you have not known, then you shall inquire and examine and interrogate thoroughly, and, look! It is true; the thing has actually been done, this detestable thing in your midst, then you shall certainly strike down the inhabitants of that town with the edge of the sword; you shall destroy it and everything in it, its domestic animals with the edge of the sword.

KJV 1900King James Version

If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 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; 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; 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.

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