اَلتَّثْنِيَة 13

١ 1 «إِذَا قَامَ فِي وَسَطِكَ نَبِيٌّ أَوْ حَالِمٌ حُلْمًا، وَأَعْطَاكَ آيَةً أَوْ أُعْجُوبَةً،

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 وَلَوْ حَدَثَتِ ٱلْآيَةُ أَوِ ٱلْأُعْجُوبَةُ ٱلَّتِي كَلَّمَكَ عَنْهَا قَائِلًا: لِنَذْهَبْ وَرَاءَ آلِهَةٍ أُخْرَى لَمْ تَعْرِفْهَا وَنَعْبُدْهَا،

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 فَلَا تَسْمَعْ لِكَلَامِ ذَلِكَ ٱلنَّبِيِّ أَوِ ٱلْحَالِمِ ذَلِكَ ٱلْحُلْمَ، لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ يَمْتَحِنُكُمْ لِكَيْ يَعْلَمَ هَلْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ 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 وَرَاءَ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ تَسِيرُونَ، وَإِيَّاهُ تَتَّقُونَ، وَوَصَايَاهُ تَحْفَظُونَ، وَصَوْتَهُ تَسْمَعُونَ، وَإِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ، وَبِهِ تَلْتَصِقُونَ.

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 وَذَلِكَ ٱلنَّبِيُّ أَوِ ٱلْحَالِمُ ذَلِكَ ٱلْحُلْمَ يُقْتَلُ، لِأَنَّهُ تَكَلَّمَ بِٱلزَّيْغِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمُ ٱلَّذِي أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ، وَفَدَاكُمْ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلْعُبُودِيَّةِ، لِكَيْ يُطَوِّحَكُمْ عَنِ ٱلطَّرِيقِ ٱلَّتِي أَمَرَكُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ أَنْ تَسْلُكُوا فِيهَا. فَتَنْزِعُونَ ٱلشَّرَّ 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 «وَإِذَا أَغْوَاكَ سِرًّا أَخُوكَ ٱبْنُ أُمِّكَ، أَوِ ٱبْنُكَ أَوِ ٱبْنَتُكَ أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةُ حِضْنِكَ، أَوْ صَاحِبُكَ ٱلَّذِي مِثْلُ نَفْسِكَ قَائِلًا: نَذْهَبُ وَنَعْبُدُ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى لَمْ تَعْرِفْهَا أَنْتَ وَلَا آبَاؤُكَ

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 ٱلشُّعُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ حَوْلَكَ، ٱلْقَرِيبِينَ مِنْكَ أَوِ ٱلْبَعِيدِينَ عَنْكَ، مِنْ أَقْصَاءِ ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَى أَقْصَائِهَا،

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

٨ 8 فَلَا تَرْضَ مِنْهُ وَلَا تَسْمَعْ لَهُ وَلَا تُشْفِقْ عَيْنُكَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا تَرِقَّ لَهُ وَلَا تَسْتُرْهُ،

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

٩ 9 بَلْ قَتْلًا تَقْتُلُهُ. يَدُكَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ أَوَّلًا لِقَتْلِهِ، ثُمَّ أَيْدِي جَمِيعِ ٱلشَّعْبِ أَخِيرًا.

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

١٠ 10 تَرْجُمُهُ بِٱلْحِجَارَةِ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ، لِأَنَّهُ ٱلْتَمَسَ أَنْ يُطَوِّحَكَ عَنِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ ٱلَّذِي أَخْرَجَكَ مِنْ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلْعُبُودِيَّةِ.

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 فَيَسْمَعُ جَمِيعُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَيَخَافُونَ، وَلَا يَعُودُونَ يَعْمَلُونَ مِثْلَ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرِ ٱلشِّرِّيرِ فِي وَسَطِكَ.

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

١٢ 12 «إِنْ سَمِعْتَ عَنْ إِحْدَى مُدُنِكَ ٱلَّتِي يُعْطِيكَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ لِتَسْكُنَ فِيهَا قَوْلًا:

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

١٣ 13 قَدْ خَرَجَ أُنَاسٌ بَنُو لَئِيمٍ مِنْ وَسَطِكَ وَطَوَّحُوا سُكَّانَ مَدِينَتِهِمْ قَائِلِينَ: نَذْهَبُ وَنَعْبُدُ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى لَمْ تَعْرِفُوهَا.

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 وَفَحَصْتَ وَفَتَّشْتَ وَسَأَلْتَ جَيِّدًا وَإِذَا ٱلْأَمْرُ صَحِيحٌ وَأَكِيدٌ، قَدْ عُمِلَ ذَلِكَ ٱلرِّجْسُ فِي وَسَطِكَ،

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 فَضَرْبًا تَضْرِبُ سُكَّانَ تِلْكَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ بِحَدِّ ٱلسَّيْفِ، وَتُحَرِّمُهَا بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا مَعَ بَهَائِمِهَا بِحَدِّ ٱلسَّيْفِ.

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 تَجْمَعُ كُلَّ أَمْتِعَتِهَا إِلَى وَسَطِ سَاحَتِهَا، وَتُحْرِقُ بِٱلنَّارِ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ وَكُلَّ أَمْتِعَتِهَا كَامِلَةً لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ، فَتَكُونُ تَلًّا إِلَى ٱلْأَبَدِ 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 وَلَا يَلْتَصِقْ بِيَدِكَ شَيْءٌ مِنَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ، لِكَيْ يَرْجِعَ ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ حُمُوِّ غَضَبِهِ، وَيُعْطِيَكَ رَحْمَةً. يَرْحَمُكَ وَيُكَثِّرُكَ كَمَا حَلَفَ لِآبَائِكَ،

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 إِذَا سَمِعْتَ لِصَوْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ لِتَحْفَظَ جَمِيعَ وَصَايَاهُ ٱلَّتِي أَنَا أُوصِيكَ بِهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ، لِتَعْمَلَ ٱلْحَقَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ.

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.