Deuteronomy 13:14

Easy-to-Read Version

If you hear this kind of news, you must do all you can to learn if it is true. If you learn that it is true, if you prove that such a terrible thing really did happen,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done among you,

Hebrew Names Version
then shall you inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you,

King James Version
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;

Lexham English Bible
then you shall inquire and examine and interrogate thoroughly, and, look! It is true; the thing has actually been done, this detestable thing in your midst,

English Standard Version
then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you,

New Century Version
Then you must ask about it, looking into the matter and checking carefully whether it is true. If it is proved that a hateful thing has happened among you,

New English Translation
You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,

Amplified Bible
then you shall investigate and search out [witnesses] and ask thorough questions. If it is true and the matter is established that this loathsome thing has been done among you,

New American Standard Bible
then you shall investigate, search out, and inquire thoroughly. And if it is true and the matter is certain that this abomination has been committed among you,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then thou shalt seeke, and make searche and enquire diligently: and if it be true, and the thing certaine, that such abomination is wrought among you,

Legacy Standard Bible
then you shall inquire and search out and ask thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the matter is confirmed, that this abomination has been done among you,

Contemporary English Version
You must carefully find out if the rumor is true. Then if the people of that town have actually done such a disgusting thing in your own country,

Complete Jewish Bible
certain scoundrels have sprung up among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city by saying, ‘Let's go and serve other gods, which you haven't known,'

Darby Translation
then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and if it be truth, [and] the thing be certain, that this abomination hath happened in the midst of thee,

George Lamsa Translation
Then you shall inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and behold, if the thing be true, that such an abomination has been done among you;

Good News Translation
If you hear such a rumor, investigate it thoroughly; and if it is true that this evil thing did happen,

Literal Translation
then you shall inquire and make search, and ask carefully; and, behold, if the thing is truly established, that this abominable thing has been done among you,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then shalt thou seke, make search, and enquere diligently. And yf it be founde of a trueth, that it is so in dede, yt soch abhominacion is wroughte amonge you,

American Standard Version
then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst of thee,

Bible in Basic English
Then let a full search be made, and let questions be put with care; and if it is true and certain that such a disgusting thing has been done among you;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then thou must seeke, & make searche and enquire diligently: And behold, if it be true, & the thing of a suretie, that such ahbomination is wrought among you:

JPS Old Testament (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';

King James Version (1611)
Then shalt thou enquire and make search, and aske diligently: and behold, if it be trueth, and the thing certaine, that such abomination is wrought among you:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
then thou shalt enquire and ask, and search diligently, and behold, if the thing is clearly true, and this abomination has taken place among you,

English Revised Version
then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst of thee;

Berean Standard Bible
then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
enquere thou bisili, and whanne the treuthe of the thing is biholdun diligentli, if thou fyndist that this thing is certeyn, which is seid, and that this abhominacioun is doon in werk,

Young's Literal Translation
and thou hast enquired, and searched, and asked diligently, and lo, truth; the thing is established; this abomination hath been done in thy midst:

Update Bible Version
then you shall inquire, and conduct a search, and ask diligently; and see if it is truth, and the thing certain, that such a disgusting thing is wrought in the midst of you,

Webster's Bible Translation
Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and behold, [if it is] truth, [and] the thing certain, [that] such abomination is wrought among you;

World English Bible
then shall you inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you,

New King James Version
then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you,

New Living Translation
In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you,

New Life Bible
Then you should ask around and try to find out if this is true. If it is true that this sinful thing has been done among you,

New Revised Standard
then you shall inquire and make a thorough investigation. If the charge is established that such an abhorrent thing has been done among you,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and thou shalt enquire, and search out, and ask diligently, - and lo! true - certain, is the thing, this abomination, hath been done, in thy midst,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Inquire carefully and diligently, the truth of the thing by looking well into it, and if thou find that which is said to be certain, and that this abomination hath been really committed,

Revised Standard Version
then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently; and behold, if it be true and certain that such an abominable thing has been done among you,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
then 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,

Contextual Overview

¹² "The Lord your God has given you cities to live in. Sometimes you might hear some bad news about one of these cities. You might hear that ¹³ some troublemakers from your own nation are persuading the people of their city to do bad things. They might say to the people of their city, ‘Let's go and serve other gods.' (These gods would be gods that you never knew before.) ¹⁴ If you hear this kind of news, you must do all you can to learn if it is true. If you learn that it is true, if you prove that such a terrible thing really did happen, ¹⁵ then you must kill all the people of that city and their animals too. You must destroy that city completely. ¹⁶ You must gather up everything of value and take it to the center of the city. Burn the whole city and everything in it as a burnt offering to the Lord your God. You must turn that city into an empty pile of rocks forever, and that city must never be rebuilt. ¹⁷ Everything in that city must be destroyed as an offering to God. So you must not keep any of the things for yourselves. If you follow this command, the Lord will stop being so angry with you. He will be kind to you. He will feel sorry for you. He will let your nation grow larger, as he promised your ancestors. ¹⁸ This will happen if you listen to the Lord your God—if you obey all his commands that I give you today. You must do what the Lord your God says is right.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 17:4, Deuteronomy 10:18, Numbers 35:30, Isaiah 11:3, Isaiah 11:4, John 7:24, 1 Timothy 5:19

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:4 - shut up Deuteronomy 19:18 - diligent Joshua 22:13 - sent Judges 20:12 - sent men 1 Kings 11:7 - abomination Ezra 4:19 - search Ezra 10:16 - to examine the matter Job 29:16 - the cause Job 33:8 - hearing Proverbs 18:13 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 13:10
Lot looked and saw the whole Jordan Valley. He saw that there was much water there. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time the Jordan Valley all the way to Zoar was like the Lord 's Garden. This was good land, like the land of Egypt.)

Genesis 28:14
You will have as many descendants as there are particles of dust on the earth. They will spread east and west, north and south. All the families on earth will be blessed because of you and your descendants.

Deuteronomy 3:27
Go up to the top of Mount Pisgah. Look to the west, to the north, to the south, and to the east. You may see these things with your eyes, but you can never go across the Jordan River.

Isaiah 49:18
Look up! Look all around you! All of your children are gathering together and coming to you." The Lord says, "On my life, I promise you this: Your children will be like jewels that you tie around your neck. Your children will be like the necklace that a bride wears.

Isaiah 60:4
Look around you! See all the people gathering around. Those are your sons coming from far away, and your daughters are there beside them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then shalt thou inquire, make search, and ask diligently,.... That is, of the witnesses, as the Targum of Jonathan; and this is a case that is only taken into consideration and judged of by the great sanhedrim, or that of seventy one, at Jerusalem o; and the method they took was this, when it fell under their cognizance: the great sanhedrim send and inquire and search till they know clearly that the whole city, or the greater part of it, are thrust away, and are turned to idolatry; after that they send two disciples of the wise men to admonish them and bring them back; if they return and repent, it is well, but if they continue in their folly, the sanhedrim order all Israel to go up against them to war, and they besiege them, and set themselves in battle array against them, until the city be broken up; and when it is broken up, immediately they set up many courts of judicature, and they judge them; and against whomsoever two witnesses come that he served idols, after they have admonished him they separate him; if all the worshippers be the fewest, they stone them, and the rest of the city are delivered; if they are found the greater number, they bring them to the great sanhedrim, and finish their judgment there, and they slay all those that have served with the sword:

and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain; that such wicked men have risen and have prevailed upon the inhabitants of the city where they live, to leave the worship of the true God, and go into idolatry, when there is full proof of this, and it is past all question that

such abomination is wrought among you; as idolatry is, which is an abomination to God, and ought to be so to all mankind, and especially to a people that profess his name.

o Maimon. Obede Cochabim, c. 4. sect. 3. 6.