12:30. Beware lest thou imitate them, after they are destroyed at thy
coming in, and lest thou seek after their ceremonies, saying: As these
nations have worshipped their gods, so will I also worship.
12:31. Thou shalt not do in like manner to the Lord thy God. For they
have done to their gods all the abominations which the Lord abhorreth,
offering their sons and daughters, and burning them with fire.
12:32. What I command thee, that only do thou to the Lord: neither add
any thing, nor diminish.
That only do thou, etc... They are forbid here to follow the ceremonies
of the heathens; or to make any alterations in the divine ordinances.
Deuteronomy Chapter 13
False prophets must be slain, and idolatrous cities destroyed.
13:1. If there rise in the midst of thee a prophet or one that saith he
hath dreamed a dream, and he foretell a sign and a wonder,
13:2. And that come to pass which he spoke, and he say to thee: Let us
go and follow strange gods, which thou knowest not, and let us serve
them:
13:3. Thou shalt not hear the words of that prophet or dreamer: for the
Lord your God trieth you, that it may appear whether you love him with
all your heart, and with all your soul, or not.
13:4. Follow the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments,
and hear his voice: him you shall serve, and to him you shall cleave.
13:5. And that prophet or forger of dreams shall be slain: because he
spoke to draw you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of
the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage: to make
thee go out of the way, which the Lord thy God commanded thee: and thou
shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee.
13:6. If thy brother the son of thy mother, or thy son, or daughter, or
thy wife that is in thy bosom, or thy friend, whom thou lovest as thy
own soul, would persuade thee secretly, saying: Let us go, and serve
strange gods, which thou knowest not, nor thy fathers,
13:7. Of all the nations round about, that are near or afar off, from
one end of the earth to the other,
13:8. Consent not to him, hear him not, neither let thy eye spare him to
pity and conceal him,
13:9. But thou shalt presently put him to death. Let thy hand be first
upon him, and afterwards the hands of all the people.
Presently put him to death... Not by killing him by private authority,
but by informing the magistrate, and proceeding by order of justice.
13:10. With stones s
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