Deuteronomy 13

Deuteronomy 13 (NASB)
Shun Idolatry
1"(A)If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, '(B)Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,'

3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is (C)testing you to find out if (D)you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4"(E)You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and (F)cling to Him.

5"But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be (G)put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, (H)to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk (I)So you shall purge the evil from among you.

6"(J)If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, '(K)Let us go and serve other gods' (whom neither you nor your fathers have known,

7of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end),

8(L)you shall not yield to him or listen to him; (M)and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him.

9"(N)But you shall surely kill him; (O)your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

10"So you shall stone him to death because he has sought (P)to seduce you from the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

11"Then (Q)all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.

12"If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that

13some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, '(R)Let us go and serve other gods' (whom you have not known),

14then you shall investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly. If it is true and the matter established that this abomination has been done among you,

15(S)you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.

16"(T)Then you shall gather all its booty into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its booty with fire as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; and it shall be a (U)ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt.

17"Nothing from that which is put under the ban shall cling to your hand, in order that the LORD may turn from (V)His burning anger and (W)show mercy to you, and have compassion on you and (X)make you increase, just (Y)as He has sworn to your fathers,

18if you will listen to the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God.


Cross references:
Deuteronomy 13:1 : Matt 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess 2:9
Deuteronomy 13:2 : Deut 13:6, 13
Deuteronomy 13:3 : Ex 20:20; Deut 8:2, 16; 1 Cor 11:19
Deuteronomy 13:3 : Deut 6:5
Deuteronomy 13:4 : 2 Kin 23:3; 2 Chr 34:31; 2 John 6
Deuteronomy 13:4 : Deut 10:20
Deuteronomy 13:5 : Deut 13:9, 15; 17:5; 1 Kin 18:40
Deuteronomy 13:5 : Deut 4:19; 13:10
Deuteronomy 13:5 : 1 Cor 5:13
Deuteronomy 13:6 : Deut 17:2-7; 29:18
Deuteronomy 13:6 : Deut 13:2
Deuteronomy 13:8 : Prov 1:10
Deuteronomy 13:8 : Deut 7:2
Deuteronomy 13:9 : Deut 13:5
Deuteronomy 13:9 : Lev 24:14; Deut 17:7
Deuteronomy 13:10 : Deut 13:5
Deuteronomy 13:11 : Deut 19:20
Deuteronomy 13:13 : Deut 13:2
Deuteronomy 13:15 : Deut 13:5
Deuteronomy 13:16 : Deut 7:25, 26
Deuteronomy 13:16 : Josh 8:28; Is 17:1; 25:2; Jer 49:2
Deuteronomy 13:17 : Ex 32:12; Num 25:4
Deuteronomy 13:17 : Deut 30:3
Deuteronomy 13:17 : Deut 7:13
Deuteronomy 13:17 : Gen 22:17; 26:4, 24; 28:14
New American Standard Bible (NASB)




I know most people wouldn't quote this scripture to today's society regarding Idols. But there is something I am certain: God still views idoltry the same way then in Moses day as He does now.
Just don't do it: that's as simple as that....although nowadays you may not idol with another god, you might do it with Facebook, Myspace, television...when you start to realize that you are idolizing things other than God, take time to pray and ask for forgiveness.....this is something I need to do right now.

My biggest thing right now is Family Guy.
Such a funny show to wind down and eliminate my stress, but when I lose my stress I don't pick up my Bible and read and meditate....I watch another episode or hop on Facebook or continue to write my novella which I am going to (maybe) start chapter 7 tomorrow.

Anyway...just remember....DON'T put ANYTHING before God.....God is a jealous God.


Exodus 20:4-6 (New International Version)

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.


God bless guys!
Cody Marie Bolton