The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Deuteronomy 13

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Deuteronomy chapter 13 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “All this word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” — the complete text of all 19 verses is below, free to read online.

1All this word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

2If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams--and he give thee a sign or a wonder,

3and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee--saying: 'Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them';

4thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams; for HaShem your G-d putteth you to proof, to know whether ye do love HaShem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul.

5After HaShem your G-d shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear, and His commandments shall ye keep, and unto His voice shall ye hearken, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave.

6And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken perversion against HaShem your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of the way which HaShem thy G-d commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

7If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, that is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying: 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

8of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

9thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him;

10but thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

11And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to draw thee away from HaShem thy G-d, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

12And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee.

13If thou shalt hear tell concerning one of thy cities, which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee to dwell there, saying:

14'Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of thee, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying: Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known';

15then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst of thee;

16thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

17And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the broad place thereof, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, unto HaShem thy G-d; and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

18And there shall cleave nought of the devoted thing to thy hand, that HaShem may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers;

19when thou shalt hearken to the voice of HaShem thy G-d, to keep all His commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of HaShem thy G-d.

19 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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