Deuteronomy 13:16 “And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public squa…”

Deuteronomy 13:16

And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

World English Bible

You shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, with all of its plunder, to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again.

American Standard Version

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, unto Jehovah thy God: and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

Geneva Bible 1599

And thou shalt gather all the spoyle of it into the middes of the streete thereof, and burne with fire the citie and all the spoyle thereof euery whit, vnto the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heape for euer: it shall not be built againe.

Darby Translation

And all the spoil of it shalt thou gather into the midst of the open place thereof, and shalt burn the city with fire, and all the spoil thereof, wholly to Jehovah thy God; and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

Young's Literal Translation

and all its spoil thou dost gather unto the midst of its broad place, and hast burned with fire the city and all its spoil completely, before Jehovah thy God, and it hath been a heap age-during, it is not built any more;

Bible in Basic English

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.

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Cross references

“burn with”

Joshua 6:24

Joshua 6:24 · BSB

Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.

“an heap”

Joshua 8:28 Jeremiah 49:2 Isaiah 17:1 Isaiah 25:2 Joshua 6:26 Micah 1:6

Joshua 8:28 · BSB

So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.

Jeremiah 49:2 · BSB

Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a heap of ruins, and its villages will be burned. Then Israel will drive out the…

Isaiah 17:1 · BSB

This is the burden against Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is no longer a city; it has become a heap of ruins.

Isaiah 25:2 · BSB

Indeed, You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin. The fortress of strangers is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.

Joshua 6:26 · BSB

At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will…

Micah 1:6 · BSB

Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard. I will pour her stones into the valley and expose her foundations.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

15you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.

17Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,

Read Deuteronomy 13