^{12 Ref} And if word comes to you, in one of the towns which the Lord your God is giving you for your resting-place,

^{13 Ref} That good-for-nothing persons have gone out from among you, turning the people of their town from the right way and saying, Let us go and give worship to other gods, of whom you have no knowledge;

^{14 Ref} 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;

^{15 Ref} Then take up arms against the people of that town and give it up to the curse, with all its cattle and everything in it.

^{16 Ref} And take all the goods into the middle of its open space, burning the town and all its property with fire as an offering to the Lord your God; it is to be a waste for ever; there is to be no more building there.

^{17 Ref} Keep not a thing of what is cursed for yourselves: so the Lord may be turned away from the heat of his wrath, and have mercy on you, and give you increase as he said in his oath to your fathers:

^{18 Ref} So long as you give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, and keep all his orders which I give you today, and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.