Do not be led astray
1 Do all that I command you with out adding or taking anything away from it.
2 What about the prophet or the professional dreamer who gives you signs or miracles?
3 If these signs or these marvels happen, and he takes advantage of them to say: “Come and let us follow other gods (gods which are not ours), and let us serve them,”
4 do not pay attention to the words of this prophet or dreamer; because Yahweh, your God, is testing you to know if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
5 It is Yahweh, your God, you will follow and him will you fear. Obey his commandments and listen to his voice. Serve him and cling to him.
6 As for the prophet or dreamer, he must die because he has spoken to draw you away from Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. This prophet must die because he wanted you to stray from the path that Yahweh has commanded you to follow. In this way you will purge the evil from your midst.
7 If your brother, the child of your father, or if your son or daughter, or the woman you love or your close friend secretly tries to lure you, saying: “Come, let us serve other gods,” gods whom neither you nor your ancestors have known,
8 the gods of either the neighboring nations that surround you along the boundaries of your land or those far away,
9 do not yield to him or listen to him. Do not pity him, or pardon him or cover up for him,
10 but denounce him. You shall deal him his death and your hand shall be the first raised against him, and then the hand of all the people.
11 You shall kill him by stoning because he tried to draw you away from Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from that house of slavery.
12 All in Israel will hear of this and they will fear, and never dare to do such evil.
13 You may hear that in some of the cities that Yahweh will give you to dwell in,
14 some evil people have appeared. You will perhaps hear that they have perverted their fellow residents and have invited them to serve new and strange gods.
15 Then carefully inquire about them and try to discover the truth of the matter. If it is certain and you have confirmed that such a shameful thing has indeed been done,
16 you shall kill by the sword all the inhabitants of that city. You shall curse the city and all that is in it, even the animals.
17 Then you shall pile up all the plunder in the center of the square and set the city on fire with all the plunder so as to fulfill the curse of Yahweh. This city will forever be a heap of ruins, and will never again be rebuilt.
18 You shall not take hold of anything from this city, not even the smallest thing, in order to appease the wrath of Yahweh, and that he may have mercy on you. Then he will bless you and fulfill the promise he has sworn to your ancestors
19 if you listen to the voice of Yahweh, observing all his commandments that I command you today, and doing what is right in the sight of Yahweh, your God.
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Comments Deuteronomy, Chapter 13
• 13.1 A prophet may perform wonders: if it is to bring about separation from the Lord, he is a fraud. Does God wants us to change our mem bership from one church to another in order to go where we think miracles are happening?
The text stresses that the Word of God and his commandments are the only foundation of our faith: we do not believe because we have seen signs and wonders (Jn 4:46) but because God has spoken.