Deuteronomy 13:12–18

^12o“If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, ¹³⁵‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” ’—which you have not known—¹⁴then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an ⁶abomination was committed among you, ¹⁵you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword. ¹⁶And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and ⁷completely ^pburn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God. It shall be ^qa ⁸heap forever; it shall not be built again. ^17rSo none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may ^sturn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and ⁹multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, ¹⁸because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, ^tto keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.