Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 13:12-14 
Context13:12 Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that 13:13 some evil people 1 have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, 2 saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before). 3 13:14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you, 4
1 tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”
2 tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”
3 tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.
4 tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.
