Saadia · Devarim 13
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- Devarim 13:1
אֵת כָּל-הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם--אֹתוֹ תִשְׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לֹא-תֹסֵף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ
. . .
And all the commandment which I command you — keep it and do it; you shall not add to it anything, nor diminish from it.
- Devarim 13:2
כִּי-יָקוּם בְּקִרְבְּךָ נָבִיא אוֹ חֹלֵם חֲלוֹם וְנָתַן אֵלֶיךָ אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת
. .
And if there arise among you a claimant of prophecy, or one who dreams a dream, and he gives you a sign or a proof,
- Devarim 13:3
וּבָא הָאוֹת וְהַמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יְדַעְתָּם--וְנָעָבְדֵם
. .
and the sign or the proof should come to pass as he said to you: 'Come, let us go to other objects of worship which you have not known, that we may serve them' —
- Devarim 13:4
לֹא תִשְׁמַע אֶל-דִּבְרֵי הַנָּבִיא הַהוּא אוֹ אֶל-חוֹלֵם הַחֲלוֹם הַהוּא כִּי מְנַסֶּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֶתְכֶם לָדַעַת הֲיִשְׁכֶם אֹהֲבִים אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם בְּכָל-לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁכֶם
. . . . .
do not accept from that claimant of prophecy, or that dreamer of dreams; for God your Lord is testing you, to make manifest whether you love Him and are devoted, with all your hearts and your souls.
- Devarim 13:5
אַחֲרֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֹתוֹ תִירָאוּ וְאֶת-מִצְוֹתָיו תִּשְׁמֹרוּ וּבְקֹלוֹ תִשְׁמָעוּ וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹדוּ וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן
. . .
Rather, in the footsteps of God your Lord shall you walk; and Him alone hold in awe; and His commandments keep; and His decree accept; and Him alone serve; and to His obedience cleave.
- Devarim 13:6
וְהַנָּבִיא הַהוּא אוֹ חֹלֵם הַחֲלוֹם הַהוּא יוּמָת כִּי דִבֶּר-סָרָה עַל-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְהַפֹּדְךָ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים--לְהַדִּיחֲךָ מִן-הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בָּהּ וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ
. . . . . . .
And that claimant of prophecy or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death — for he speaks an impossible thing against God your Lord, who brought you out from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage — to thrust you away from the path which God your Lord commanded you to walk; and purge the people of evil from your midst.
- Devarim 13:7
כִּי יְסִיתְךָ אָחִיךָ בֶן-אִמֶּךָ אוֹ-בִנְךָ אוֹ-בִתְּךָ אוֹ אֵשֶׁת חֵיקֶךָ אוֹ רֵעֲךָ אֲשֶׁר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ--בַּסֵּתֶר לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה וְנַעַבְדָה אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתָּ אַתָּה וַאֲבֹתֶיךָ
. . . . .
And if your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or your wife who is your bond, or your companion who is as your own soul, should incite you in secret, saying: 'Come, let us serve other objects of worship which you have not known — you and your fathers —'
- Devarim 13:8
מֵאֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיכֶם הַקְּרֹבִים אֵלֶיךָ אוֹ הָרְחֹקִים מִמֶּךָּ--מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ וְעַד-קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ
. . . .
from among the objects of worship of the nations that are around you, the nearest to you or the farthest from you, from one end of the earth to the other —
- Devarim 13:9
לֹא-תֹאבֶה לוֹ וְלֹא תִשְׁמַע אֵלָיו וְלֹא-תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ עָלָיו וְלֹא-תַחְמֹל וְלֹא-תְכַסֶּה עָלָיו
. . .
do not consent to that, and do not accept it from him, and do not show compassion toward him, and do not take pity on him, and do not conceal it on his behalf.
- Devarim 13:10
כִּי הָרֹג תַּהַרְגֶנּוּ יָדְךָ תִּהְיֶה-בּוֹ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לַהֲמִיתוֹ וְיַד כָּל-הָעָם בָּאַחֲרֹנָה
. .
Rather, slay him with slaying; and your hand shall be the first to fall upon him to kill him, and the hand of the rest of the nation last.
- Devarim 13:11
וּסְקַלְתּוֹ בָאֲבָנִים וָמֵת כִּי בִקֵּשׁ לְהַדִּיחֲךָ מֵעַל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים
. . .
And stone him with stones until he dies — for he sought to thrust you away from God your Lord, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
- Devarim 13:12
וְכָל-יִשְׂרָאֵל--יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּן וְלֹא-יוֹסִפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה--בְּקִרְבֶּךָ
. . .
And the rest of the house of Israel shall hear and be afraid, and shall not repeat doing the like of this evil thing in your midst.
- Devarim 13:13
כִּי-תִשְׁמַע בְּאַחַת עָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לָשֶׁבֶת שָׁם--לֵאמֹר
.
And if you should hear, concerning one of your towns which God your Lord is giving you to dwell in, the saying of one who says:
- Devarim 13:14
יָצְאוּ אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי-בְלִיַּעַל מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וַיַּדִּיחוּ אֶת-יֹשְׁבֵי עִירָם לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה וְנַעַבְדָה אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים--אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יְדַעְתֶּם
. . .
'There have gone out a band of unbelieving men from it, and they have led astray the people of their town, saying: Come, let us serve other objects of worship which you have not known' —
- Devarim 13:15
וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְחָקַרְתָּ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ הֵיטֵב וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּקִרְבֶּךָ
. . .
then seek it out and investigate it, and inquire concerning it thoroughly; and if the matter be true and confirmed, that this abomination has been done in your midst,
- Devarim 13:16
הַכֵּה תַכֶּה אֶת-יֹשְׁבֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא--לְפִי-חָרֶב הַחֲרֵם אֹתָהּ וְאֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-בָּהּ וְאֶת-בְּהֶמְתָּהּ לְפִי-חָרֶב
. .
slay with slaying the people of that town by the edge of the sword; and destroy it and all that is in it, even its beasts, by the edge of the sword.
- Devarim 13:17
וְאֶת-כָּל-שְׁלָלָהּ תִּקְבֹּץ אֶל-תּוֹךְ רְחֹבָהּ וְשָׂרַפְתָּ בָאֵשׁ אֶת-הָעִיר וְאֶת-כָּל-שְׁלָלָהּ כָּלִיל לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָיְתָה תֵּל עוֹלָם לֹא תִבָּנֶה עוֹד
. . . . .
And all its spoil — gather it to the center of its square, and burn with fire that town and all its spoil, as a whole offering to God your Lord; and it shall be a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt.
- Devarim 13:18
וְלֹא-יִדְבַּק בְּיָדְךָ מְאוּמָה מִן-הַחֵרֶם--לְמַעַן יָשׁוּב יְהוָה מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְנָתַן-לְךָ רַחֲמִים וְרִחַמְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ
. . .
And let nothing of the destroyed thing cling to your hand — so that God may turn back from the intensity of His anger, and give you His mercy and have mercy on you and multiply you, as He swore to your fathers —
- Devarim 13:19
כִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת-כָּל-מִצְוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--לַעֲשׂוֹת הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
. . .
when you accept the command of God your Lord, and keep and do all His commandments which I command you today, doing what is upright in His sight.
English is a working draft — author revising