Deuteronomy 12:31

Praise and worship Sin

²⁹ When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land,

³⁰ be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”

You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

³² See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
KJV: Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
WEB: You shall not do so to the LORD your God; for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, they have done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
ASV: Thou shalt not do so unto Jehovah thy God: for every abomination to Jehovah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.
DARBY: Thou shalt not do so to Jehovah thy God; for every [thing that is] abomination to Jehovah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters have they burned in the fire to their gods.
BLB: You shall not do thus to YHWH your God, for every abomination to YHWH, which He hates, they have done to their gods. For even their sons and daughters they burn in the fire to their gods.

ÅB: Du skal ikke gjøre som de når du dyrker Herren din Gud; for alt det som er en styggedom for Herren, og som han hater, det gjør de for sine guder; endog sine sønner og sine døtre brenner de i ilden til ære for sine guder.
OTB: Dere må ikke tilbe Herren deres Gud på deres måte, for i tilbedelsen av sine guder gjør de alle slags avskyelige ting som Herren hater. De brenner til og med sine sønner og døtre i ilden som offer til sine guder.
B1930: Du skal ikke gjøre som de når du dyrker Herren din Gud; for alt det som er en vederstyggelighet for Herren, og som han hater, det gjør de for sine guder; endog sine sønner og sine døtre brenner de i ilden til ære for sine guder.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 32:35
They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 18:9–10
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
Read in context
2 Kings 17:15–17
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.
Read in context
Jeremiah 7:31
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
Read in context
2 Kings 21:2
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 9:5
It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:4
You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way.
Read in context
Exodus 23:2
You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
Read in context