⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you ^(A)than what you have received, let him be accursed.

A Warning

^18 [a]For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: ^(A)If anyone adds to these things, ^[b]God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, ^(B)God^[c] shall take away his part from the ^[d]Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Avoid Divisive Persons

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brethren, note those ^(A)who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and ^(B)avoid them.

^2 (A)You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Coming with Authority

13 This will be ^(A)the third time I am coming to you. ^(B)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ^2 (C)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[a]I write to those ^(D)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(E)I will not spare—

¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(A)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No?

³² “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; ^(A)you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Punishment of Apostates

13 “If there arises among you a prophet or a ^(B)dreamer of dreams, ^(C)and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and ^(D)the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God ^(E)is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall ^(F)walk^[a] after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and ^(G)hold fast to Him. ⁵ But ^(H)that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn 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 entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. ^(I)So you shall ^[b]put away the evil from your midst.

^6 (J)“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, ^(K)the wife ^[c]of your bosom, or your friend ^(L)who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, ⁷ of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, ⁸ you shall ^(M)not ^[d]consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; ⁹ but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to ^(N)death, and afterward the hand of all the people. ¹⁰ And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. ¹¹ So all Israel shall hear and ^(O)fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.

All for Christ

3 Finally, my brethren, ^(A)rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.