Worshiping Other Gods

13 ^[a]If a prophet,^(A) or one who foretells by dreams,^(B) appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, ² and if the sign^(C) or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods”^(D) (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet^(E) or dreamer.^(F) The Lord your God is testing^(G) you to find out whether you love^(H) him with all your heart and with all your soul.

¹¹ and many false prophets^(A) will appear and deceive many people.^(B)

Simon the Sorcerer

⁹ Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery^(A) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,^(B)

⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(A) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(B) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(C) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(D) 11} For this reason God sends them^(E) a powerful delusion^(F) so that they will believe the lie^(G)

¹³ And it performed great signs,^(A) even causing fire to come down from heaven^(B) to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs^(C) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(D) the inhabitants of the earth.^(E) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^(F)

¹⁴ They are demonic spirits^(A) that perform signs,^(B) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(C) to gather them for the battle^(D) on the great day^(E) of God Almighty.

²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^(A) who had performed the signs^(B) on its behalf.^(C) With these signs he had deluded^(D) those who had received the mark of the beast^(E) and worshiped its image.^(F) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake^(G) of burning sulfur.^(H)