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Deuteronomy 13:12-14
New English Translation
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
New English Translation
Punishment of Community Idolatry
12 Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that 13 some evil people[a] have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities,[b] saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before).[c] 14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,[d]
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- Deuteronomy 13:13 tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (beliyyaʿal) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”
- Deuteronomy 13:13 tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”
- Deuteronomy 13:13 tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.
- Deuteronomy 13:14 tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
King James Version
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
King James Version
12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
14 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;
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Deuteronomy 13:12-14
English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
English Standard Version
12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, 13 that certain (A)worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, 14 then you shall inquire and make search and ask (B)diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you,
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Deuteronomy 13:12-14
New King James Version
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
New King James Version
12 (A)“If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 [a]‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” ’—which you have not known— 14 then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an [b]abomination was committed among you,
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- Deuteronomy 13:13 Lit. Sons of Belial
- Deuteronomy 13:14 detestable action
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
New International Version
Deuteronomy 13:12-14
New International Version
12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers(A) have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.(B) And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,(C)
New English Translation (NET)
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.