Deuteronomy Chapter 13
Showing all 18 verses for Deuteronomy Chapter 13.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, "
"If a prophet, or someone who has dreams, appears among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,"
Jesus warns us that a flashy sign or an accurate prediction is never proof that a message is from God. What matters is where the message leads your heart - towards love of God and neighbour, or away from it.
"And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; "
"...and the sign or wonder he told you about actually happens, and he says, 'Let's follow other gods you have not known, and let's serve them' —"
Even when a prediction comes true exactly as foretold, if the message pulls you towards something that isn't love, it's still false. Jesus teaches us to judge every teacher by their fruit, not their track record of accuracy.
"Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. "
"Do not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer — because the LORD your God is testing you, to find out whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul."
Trials and tests are never really about the test itself - they reveal what you already love most. Jesus wants you to see hardship not as abandonment but as an invitation to discover and deepen where your heart truly belongs.
"Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. "
"You are to follow the LORD your God, revere him, keep his commands, obey his voice, serve him, and stay close to him."
Following God is active, not passive - walking, fearing, obeying, clinging. Jesus invites you into a relationship of devotion where love and obedience naturally belong together, not a cold list of rules to tick off.
"And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. "
"That prophet or dreamer is to be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God — who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery — trying to lead you away from the path the LORD your God commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from among you."
This severe penalty shows how seriously God takes anything that would pull His rescued people back towards slavery of the heart. Jesus later shows the same seriousness about guarding others from being led astray, though He calls us to confront deception with truth and love rather than violence.
"If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which 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; "
"If your brother, your mother's son, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend, secretly tries to entice you, saying, 'Let's go and serve other gods, ones you and your ancestors have not known' —"
Even our closest relationships - family, spouse, best friend - must never outweigh loyalty to what is true and good. Jesus calls us to love people fully while never letting that love excuse being quietly led somewhere destructive.
"Namely, of the gods of the people which 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; "
"...one of the gods of the peoples around you, whether near you or far away, from one end of the earth to the other —"
Temptation to abandon God can come dressed as something familiar and popular, from near or far. Jesus reminds us that truth doesn't change because everyone around us is doing something else.
"Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: "
"Do not give in to him, and do not listen to him; do not pity him, do not spare him, and do not shield him."
Loving someone doesn't mean protecting them from consequences when they're leading others towards real harm. True compassion sometimes means honesty and accountability rather than covering things up out of sentiment.
"But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. "
"You must certainly kill him — your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and the hands of everyone else after that."
The demand that the community itself carry out this judgement shows how seriously ancient Israel had to guard against being pulled from God. Jesus later reshapes this zeal for truth into spiritual vigilance and honest confrontation, not physical violence against one another.
"And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. "
"Stone him to death, because he tried to lead you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery."
This harsh penalty reflects how total the old covenant's guard against idolatry needed to be for a young, vulnerable nation. Jesus, centuries later, stood over a woman facing this very punishment and offered mercy alongside truth - showing where His heart ultimately lies.
"And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you. "
"All Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and no one will do such a wicked thing again among you."
Public consequences were meant to sober the whole community, not just punish an individual. Jesus never denies that sin has real, rippling effects - even while He extends mercy to the person caught in it.
"If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, "
"If you hear it said about one of your towns, which the LORD your God is giving you to live in,"
Jesus calls us to stay alert to what's happening within our own communities rather than assuming everything is fine. Awareness paired with careful, fair investigation - not paranoia - is what real love for a community looks like.
"Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; "
"'Some worthless men have gone out from among you and led the people of their city astray, saying, Let's go and serve other gods you have not known' —"
Rumours of corruption spreading through a community must be taken seriously, but never assumed true without checking. Jesus values people enough to insist that even troubling reports be verified with care before anyone acts.
"Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; "
"Then you must investigate, search out, and ask questions carefully; and if it turns out to be true, and the matter is confirmed, that such a detestable act has been done among you,"
Jesus values truth-seeking over hasty judgement. Before responding to any serious accusation, He calls us to patient, diligent enquiry rather than reacting out of fear, anger, or gossip.
"Thou 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. "
"You must strike down the people of that city with the sword, utterly destroying it and everyone in it, and its livestock, with the sword."
This devastating judgement reflects how seriously the old covenant treated wholesale apostasy that threatened the whole nation's relationship with God. Jesus later reveals that God's deepest desire is always repentance and restoration wherever it can still be found, even amid deserved judgement.
"And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. "
"Gather all its plunder into the middle of its main square, and burn the whole city and all its plunder as a complete offering to the LORD your God; it is to remain a permanent ruin, never rebuilt."
Nothing was to be kept back for personal gain - the break with what corrupted the community had to be complete. Jesus calls us to the same total honesty, refusing to quietly profit from anything that draws us or others from God.
"And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; "
"Nothing that is set apart for destruction is to stick to your hand — so that the LORD may turn from his fierce anger, show you mercy, have compassion on you, and multiply you, as he swore to your ancestors,"
Full obedience clears the way for God's mercy and compassion to flow again. Jesus shows that turning wholly away from what is destructive - not half-measures - is what opens the door to renewed blessing.
"When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God. "
"...when you listen to the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all his commands that I'm giving you today, and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God."
The whole chapter closes on a simple call: listen to God's voice and do what is right. Jesus sums up every commandment as loving God and neighbour - right living flows naturally from a heart truly tuned to Him.