^13:6Suppose your own full brother,⁸ your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods⁹ that neither you nor your ancestors¹⁰ have previously known,¹¹^13:7the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth¹² to the other). ^13:8You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him. ^13:9Instead, you must kill him without fail!¹³ Your own hand must be the first to strike him,¹⁴ and then the hands of the whole community.

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Footnotes

8 Heb “your brother, the son of your mother.” In a polygamous society it was not rare to have half brothers and sisters by way of a common father and different mothers.
9 In the Hebrew text these words are in the form of a brief quotation: “entice you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods.’ ”
10 Heb “fathers” (also in v. 17).
11 Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. , ; on “fathers” cf. v. 18).
12 Or “land” (so , ); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.”
13 The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail” (cf. “you must certainly put him to death”).
14 Heb “to put him to death,” but this is misleading in English for such an action would leave nothing for the others to do.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods’—which neither you nor your ancestors have known, any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other—do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“If your brother, the son of your mother or your son or your daughter or your wife whom you embrace or your intimate friend in secrecy says, ‘Let us go and let us serve other gods!’ gods that you and your ancestors have not known, from among the gods of the people who are around you, those near you or those far from you, from one end of the earth and up to the other end of the earth, you must not give in to him, and you shall not listen to him, and your eye shall not take pity on him, and you shall not have compassion, and you shall not cover up for him. But you shall certainly kill him; your hand shall be first against him to kill him and next the hand of all of the people.

KJV 1900King James Version

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; 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; 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: 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.

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