تَثنِيَة 13

١ 1 إِذَا ظَهَرَ بَيْنَكُمْ نَبِيٌّ أَوْ صَاحِبُ أَحْلامٍ، وَتَنَبَّأَ بِوُقُوعِ آيَةٍ أَوْ أُعْجُوبَةٍ.

Maybe a prophet or someone who has dreams about the future comes along and gives you a prediction you about some sign or miracle,

٢ 2 فَتَحَقَّقَتْ تِلْكَ الآيَةُ أَوِ الأُعْجُوبَةُ الَّتِي تَنَبَّأَ بِها، ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَلُمَّ نَذْهَبُ وَرَاءَ آلِهَةٍ أُخْرَى لَمْ تَعْرِفُوهَا وَنَعْبُدُهَا.

and the sign or wonder does happens. If after that they tell you, “Let's follow other gods that you don't know, and let's worship them,”

٣ 3 فَلا تُصْغُوا إِلَى كَلامِ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيِّ أَوْ صَاحِبِ الأَحْلامِ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ يُجَرِّبُكُمْ لِيَرَى إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ قُلُوبِكُمْ وَمِنْ كُلِّ أَنْفُسِكُمْ،

then you must not listen to what that prophet or dreamer has to say because the Lord your God is trying to find out whether you really love him with all your mind and with all your being.

٤ 4 فَاتْبَعُوا الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ وَاتَّقُوهُ، وَأَطِيعُوا وَصَايَاهُ وَاسْمَعُوا صَوْتَهُ، وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَتَمَسَّكُوا بِهِ.

You are to follow the Lord your God and respect him. Keep his commandments and do what he says; worship him and hold onto him.

٥ 5 أَمَّا ذَلِكَ النَّبِيُّ أَوِ الْحَالِمُ فَإِنَّهُ يُقْتَلُ، لأَنَّهُ نَطَقَ بِالْبُهْتَانِ ضِدَّ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمُ الَّذِي أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِ مِصْرَ، وَفَدَاكُمْ مِنْ نِيرِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ، لِيُضِلَّكُمْ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ الَّتِي أَمَرَكُمْ بِسُلُوكِهَا، فَتَسْتَأْصِلُونَ الشَّرَّ مِنْ بَيْنِكُمْ.

These kinds of prophet or dreamer must be executed, because they have promoted rebellion against the Lord your God, who led you out of Egypt and rescued you from the prison-house of slavery. They have tried to lead you from the way that the Lord your God has ordered you to follow. You must eliminate the evil among you.

٦ 6 وَإذَا أَضَلَّكَ سِرّاً أَخُوكَ ابْنُ أُمِّكَ، أَوِ ابْنُكَ أَوِ ابْنَتُكَ، أَوْ زَوْجَتُكَ الْمَحْبُوبَةُ، أَوْ صَدِيقُكَ الْحَمِيمُ قَائِلاً: لِنَذْهَبْ وَنَعْبُدْ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى غَرِيبَةً عَنْكَ وَعَنْ آبَائِكَ

Even if your own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your best friend secretly encourages you, saying, “Let's go and worship other gods” unfamiliar to you and your forefathers,

٧ 7 مِنْ آلِهَةِ الشُّعُوبِ الأُخْرَى الْمُحِيطَةِ بِكَ أَوِ الْبَعِيدَةِ عَنْكَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الأَرْضِ إِلَى أَقْصَاهَا،

the gods of your pagan nation neighbors, whether they love close by or far away in any direction,

٨ 8 فَلا تَسْتَجِبْ لَهُ وَلا تُصْغِ إِلَيْهِ، وَلا يُشْفِقْ قَلْبُكَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلا تَتَرَّأفْ بِهِ، وَلا تَتَسَتَّرْ عَلَيْهِ.

don't give into them or listen to them. Show them no mercy. Don't spare them or protect them.

٩ 9 بَلْ حَتْماً تَقْتُلُهُ. كُنْ أَنْتَ أَوَّلَ قَاتِلِيهِ، ثُمَّ يَعْقُبُكَ بَقِيَّةُ الشَّعْبِ.

No, you absolutely must kill them! You start killing them, and then have everyone else help.

١٠ 10 ارْجُمْهُ بِالْحِجَارَةِ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ، لأَنَّهُ سَعَى أَنْ يُضِلَّكَ عَنِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ الَّذِي أَخْرَجَكَ مِنْ دِيَارِ مِصْرَ مِنْ نِيرِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ،

Stone the person to death for trying lead you away from the Lord your God, who led you out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery.

١١ 11 فَيَشِيعَ الْخَبَرُ بَيْنَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ جَمِيعِهِمْ وَيَخَافُونَ، وَلا يُعَاوِدُونَ ارْتِكَابَ مِثْلِ هَذَا الأَمْرِ الشَّنِيعِ بَيْنَكُمْ.

Then every Israelite will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do such an evil thing among you.

١٢ 12 إِنْ سَمِعْتُمْ عَنْ إِحْدَى مُدُنِكُمُ الَّتِي يَهَبُهَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهَا،

It may happen that once you're living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, you hear

١٣ 13 أَنَّ بَعْضَ الْفَاسِقِينَ قَدْ خَرَجُوا مِنْ بَيْنِكُمْ وَضَلَّلُوا سُكَّانَ مَدِينَتِهِمْ قَائِلِينَ: لِنَذْهَبْ وَنَعْبُدْ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى غَرِيبَةً عَنْكُمْ

that evil people have taken over in one of your towns and have led the people there astray, telling them, “Let's go and worship other gods” that you don't know.

١٤ 14 فَافْحَصُوا الأَمْرَ أَوَّلاً وَتَحَقَّقُوا مِنْهُ بِدِقَّةٍ. فَإِنْ تَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ صِدْقُهُ، وَثَبَتَ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ الشَّنِيعَ قَدْ جَرَى فِعْلاً،

If this does happen you need to make a full investigation, inquiring about the facts and interrogating witnesses. If it's proved beyond doubt that this awful sin has actually been committed among you,

١٥ 15 فَاقْضُوا قَضَاءً عَلَى سُكَّانِ تِلْكَ الْمَدِينَةِ وَعَلَى بَهَائِمِهِمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ بِحَدِّ السَّيْفِ.

then you have to kill the people living in that town with the sword. Set apart for destruction its people and its livestock.

١٦ 16 وَاجْمَعُوا كُلَّ أَمْتِعَتِهَا وَكَوِّمُوهَا فِي وَسْطِ سَاحَتِهَا وَأَحْرِقُوا الْمَدِينَةَ مَعَ كُلِّ أَمْتِعَتِهَا كَامِلَةً، انْتِقَاماً لِلرَّبِّ، فَتُصْبِحَ تَلاً خَرَاباً إِلَى الأَبَدِ لَا تُبْنَى بَعْدُ.

You must pile up all the people's possessions in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the town and everything in it as a complete burnt offering to the Lord your God. The town must remain a heap of ruins forever. It must never be rebuilt.

١٧ 17 وَلا يَعْلَقُ شَيْءٌ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ مِمَّا هُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ مِنْهَا، لِيُخْمِدَ الرَّبُّ مِنِ احْتِدَامِ غَضَبِهِ وَيَمْنَحَكُمْ رَحْمَةً، فَيُبَارِكُكُمْ وَيُكَثِّرُكُمْ كَمَا أَقْسَمَ لِآبَائِكُمْ،

Don't take for yourselves anything that has been set apart for destruction so that the Lord won't be angry any more. He will be merciful to you, showing you compassion, and giving you many descendants as he promised to your forefathers,

١٨ 18 إِنْ سَمِعْتُمْ لِصَوْتِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ وَأَطَعْتُمْ وَصَايَاهُ الَّتِي أَنَا أُوصِيكُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِها لِتَعْمَلُوا الْحَقَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ.

because you are obeying the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I'm giving you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.