29-31 When God, your God, cuts off the nations whose land you are invading, shoves them out of your way so that you displace them and settle in their land, be careful that you don’t get curious about them after they’ve been destroyed before you. Don’t get fascinated with their gods, thinking, “I wonder what it was like for them, worshiping their gods. I’d like to try that myself.” Don’t do this to God, your God. They commit every imaginable abomination with their gods. God hates it all with a passion. Why, they even set their children on fire as offerings to their gods!

32 Diligently do everything I command you, the way I command you: don’t add to it; don’t subtract from it.

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30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared(A) by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”(B) 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.(C) They even burn their sons(D) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.(E)

32 See that you do all I command you; do not add(F) to it or take away from it.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:32 In Hebrew texts this verse (12:32) is numbered 13:1.