Deuteronomy 13:13 that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods" (which you have not known),

Bible > Deuteronomy > Chapter 13 > Verse 13

◄ Deuteronomy 13:13 ►

New International Version
that troublemakers 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),

New Living Translation
that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before.

English Standard Version
that certain 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,

Berean Standard Bible
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),

King James Bible
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

New King James Version
‘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—

New American Standard Bible
some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),

NASB 1995
some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods ‘ (whom you have not known),

NASB 1977
some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),

Legacy Standard Bible
some vile men have gone out from among you and have driven the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),

Amplified Bible
that some worthless and evil men have gone out from among you and have tempted the inhabitants of their city [to sin], saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),

Christian Standard Bible
that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, ‘Let us go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known,

American Standard Version
Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of thee, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

Contemporary English Version
You may hear that some worthless people have talked everyone there into worshiping other gods, even though these gods had never done anything for them.

English Revised Version
Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of thee, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
have been led away from the LORD your God by worthless people. You may hear that these people have been saying, "Let's worship other gods." (Those gods may be gods you've never heard of.)

Good News Translation
that some worthless people of your nation have misled the people of their town to worship gods that you have never worshiped before.

International Standard Version
that worthless men have come from among you to entice those who live in the towns. They may say, 'Let's go and serve other gods that you haven't known.'

Majority Standard Bible
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, ?Let us go and serve other gods? (which you have not known),

NET Bible
some evil people have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, saying, "Let's go and serve other gods" (whom you have not known before).

New Heart English Bible
Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," which you have not known;

Webster's Bible Translation
Certain men, the children of Belial, have 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;

World English Bible
certain wicked fellows have gone out from among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods,” which you have not known,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Men, sons of worthlessness, have gone out of your midst, and they force away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which you have not known),

Young's Literal Translation
Men, sons of worthlessness, have gone out of thy midst, and they force away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known --

Smith's Literal Translation
Men, sons of Belial went forth from the midst of thee, and they will thrust away the inhabitants of their city, saying, We will go and serve other gods which ye knew not;

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Children of Belial are gone out of the midst of thee, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, and have said: Let us go, and serve strange gods which you know not:

Catholic Public Domain Version
‘The sons of Belial have departed from your midst, and they have persuaded the inhabitants of their city, and they have said: “Let us go, and serve strange gods,” ’ which you have not known:

New American Bible
that certain scoundrels have sprung up in your midst and have led astray the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Come, let us serve other gods,” whom you have not known,

New Revised Standard Version
that scoundrels from among you have gone out and led the inhabitants of the town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods,” whom you have not known,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Certain wicked men have gone out from among you, and have led astray the inhabitants of their cities saying, Let us go and serve other gods, whom you have not known;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Men, sons of sin, went out from within you and they have led astray the people of their city and they said, ‘Let us go; let us serve other gods that you do not know’;

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of thee, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying: Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known';

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Evil men have gone out from you, and have caused all the inhabitants of their land to fall away, saying, Let us go and worship other gods, whom ye knew not,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Idolatrous Cities to Be Destroyed
12If, regarding one of the cities the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said 13that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known), 14then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 23:13
Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.

Joshua 23:16
If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.”

Judges 2:12
Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger,

1 Kings 9:6-9
But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, / then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ ...

2 Kings 17:7-18
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. / The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. ...

Jeremiah 11:10
They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.

Jeremiah 13:10
These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all.

Jeremiah 16:11-13
Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction. / And you have done more evil than your fathers. See how each of you follows the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying Me. / So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’

Jeremiah 19:4-5
because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. / They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

Ezekiel 20:8
But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 13:2
Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

Acts 20:30
Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

Romans 16:17-18
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. / For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Treasury of Scripture

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 you have not known;

the children.

Judges 19:22
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

Judges 20:13
Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

1 Samuel 2:12
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

are gone

Deuteronomy 4:19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

2 Kings 17:21
For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Let us

Deuteronomy 13:2,6
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; …

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Deuteronomy 13

1. Enticers to idolatry
6. however near to oneself
9. are to be stoned to death
12. Idolatrous cities are not to be spared

Berean Study Bible

that wicked men have arisen from among you
The phrase "wicked men" in Hebrew is "בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל" (benei beliyaal), which can be translated as "sons of worthlessness" or "sons of Belial." This term is used throughout the Old Testament to describe individuals who are morally corrupt and rebellious against God. The historical context here is significant, as Israel was called to be a holy nation, set apart for God. The emergence of such men from within the community is a grave concern, highlighting the internal threat of apostasy. This serves as a warning to remain vigilant against influences that can lead believers away from their covenant with God.

and have led the people of their town astray
The Hebrew verb "נָדַח" (nadach) means "to drive away" or "to lead astray." This implies a deliberate action to mislead others, causing them to deviate from the path of righteousness. In the ancient Near Eastern context, towns were close-knit communities, and the influence of a few could easily sway the many. This phrase underscores the responsibility of community leaders and members to guard against false teachings and to uphold the truth of God's Word.

saying, ‘Let us go and worship other gods’
The call to "worship other gods" is a direct violation of the first commandment, which forbids the worship of any deity other than Yahweh. The Hebrew word for "worship" is "עָבַד" (avad), which also means "to serve." This indicates not just an act of bowing down but a lifestyle of service and allegiance. The historical context of Israel, surrounded by polytheistic cultures, made this temptation ever-present. The call to worship other gods represents a fundamental betrayal of the covenant relationship with the one true God.

gods you have not known
The phrase "gods you have not known" emphasizes the foreignness and illegitimacy of these deities. In Hebrew, "לֹא יְדַעְתֶּם" (lo yedatem) suggests a lack of experiential knowledge or relationship. The God of Israel had revealed Himself through mighty acts and a personal covenant, whereas these other gods were unknown and unproven. This serves as a reminder of the unique and personal nature of the relationship between God and His people, contrasting with the impersonal and deceptive nature of idolatry. The call to remain faithful to the God they know is a call to trust in His proven character and promises.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) Children of Belial.--The very same expression is used in Judges 20:13 : "Deliver us the men, the children of Belial, that are among you." This is the first place where the expression "sons of Belial" occurs, and Judges 19:22 is the second. It is generally explained by modern scholars as "worthlessness." Rashi curiously makes it "destroyers of the yoke" (of Jehovah).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - Men, the children of Belial; the sons of worthlessness, utterly worthless persons. Beli ya'al (a compound of בְלִי, not, and עָל, to ascend, to have worth, to profit) means primarily that which is low, hence worthlessness, naughtiness, wickedness. In Deuteronomy 15:9, Belial is rendered in the Authorized Version as an adjective, "wicked," and also in Nehemiah 1:11. In Psalm 18:4, it is rendered by "ungodly men." Most commonly it is treated as a proper name. But in all places the proper meaning of the word might be retained. The Hebrews described an object, of which any quality was predominantly characteristic, as the son of that quality. Are gone out from among you; have gone forth from the midst of you, i.e. have risen up among yourselves. Withdraw. The verb here is the same as that rendered by "thrust," in vers. 5 and 10. It conveys the idea of drawing away with some degree of force, not mere easy seduction, but impulsion by strong persuasion.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

that wicked
בְלִיַּ֙עַל֙ (ḇə·lî·ya·‘al)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1100: Without profit, worthlessness, destruction, wickedness

men
אֲנָשִׁ֤ים (’ă·nā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

have arisen
יָצְא֞וּ (yā·ṣə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

from among you
מִקִּרְבֶּ֔ךָ (miq·qir·be·ḵā)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

and led the people
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י (yō·šə·ḇê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

of their city
עִירָ֖ם (‘î·rām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

astray,
וַיַּדִּ֛יחוּ (way·yad·dî·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5080: To impel, thrust, banish

saying,
לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Let us go
נֵלְכָ֗ה (nê·lə·ḵāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

and serve
וְנַעַבְדָ֛ה (wə·na·‘aḇ·ḏāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

other
אֲחֵרִ֖ים (’ă·ḥê·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

gods”
אֱלֹהִ֥ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

(which
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you have not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

known),
יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ (yə·ḏa‘·tem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

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OT Law: Deuteronomy 13:13 Certain base fellows are gone out (Deut. De Du)