12 If thou shalt hear in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God has given thee to dwell there, that it is said,
13 certain men, the sons of Belial, are gone out from among you and have incited the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known,
14 then shalt thou enquire and search and ask diligently; and, behold, if it is the truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you,
15 thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly with all that is therein and the beasts thereof, with the edge of the sword.
16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of its plaza and shalt burn the city with fire and all the spoil thereof, all of it, unto the Lord thy God; and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall never be built again.
17 And none of the anathema shall cleave to thine hand that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show thee mercy and have compassion upon thee and multiply thee, as he has sworn unto thy fathers,
18 when thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, keeping all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.