Deuteronomy 13:14

Good News Translation

If you hear such a rumor, investigate it thoroughly; and if it is true that this evil thing 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,

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,

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;

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 "When you are living in the towns that the Lord your God gives you, you may hear ¹³ that some worthless people of your nation have misled the people of their town to worship gods that you have never worshiped before. ¹⁴ If you hear such a rumor, investigate it thoroughly; and if it is true that this evil thing did happen, ¹⁵ then kill all the people in that town and all their livestock too. Destroy that town completely. ¹⁶ Bring together all the possessions of the people who live there and pile them up in the town square. Then burn the town and everything in it as an offering to the Lord your God. It must be left in ruins forever and never again be rebuilt. ¹⁷ Do not keep for yourselves anything that was condemned to destruction, and then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and show you mercy. He will be merciful to you and make you a numerous people, as he promised your ancestors, ¹⁸ if you obey all his commands that I have given you today, and do what he requires.

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 around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.)

Genesis 28:14
They will be as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth. They will extend their territory in all directions, and through you and your descendants I will bless all the nations.

Deuteronomy 3:27
Go to the peak of Mount Pisgah and look to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west. Look carefully at what you see, because you will never go across the Jordan.

Isaiah 49:18
Look around and see what is happening! Your people are assembling—they are coming home! As surely as I am the living God, you will be proud of your people, as proud as a bride is of her jewels.

Isaiah 60:4
Look around you and see what is happening: Your people are gathering to come home! Your sons will come from far away; Your daughters will be carried like children.

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.