Deuteronomy 13

1 If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,

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

2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, "Let us go after other gods" (which you have not known) "and let us serve them";

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,”

3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for YHWH your God proves you, to know whether you love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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.

4 You shall walk after YHWH your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cling to him.

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.

5 That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which YHWH your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.

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.

6 If your brother, the son of your father, or the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your friend who is closest to you, entice you secretly, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;

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,

7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you, or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth;

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

8 you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him:

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

9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

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

10 You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

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.

11 All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more such wickedness as this is in the midst of you.

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

12 If you shall hear tell concerning one of your cities, which YHWH your God gives you to dwell there, saying,

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

13 Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," which you have not known;

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.

14 then you shall inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, look, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you,

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,

15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.

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

16 You shall gather all its plunder into the midst of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to YHWH your God: and it shall be a ruin forever; it shall not be built again.

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.

17 Nothing of the devoted thing shall cling to your hand; that YHWH may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show you mercy, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as he has sworn to your fathers;

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,

18 when you shall listen to the voice of YHWH your God, to keep all his commandments which I command you this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of YHWH your God.

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.