13 “Prophets or interpreters of dreams may promise a miracle or a wonder, ² in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before. Even if what they promise comes true, ³ do not pay any attention to them. The Lord your God is using them to test you, to see if you love the Lord with all your heart. ⁴ Follow the Lord and honor him; obey him and keep his commands; worship him and be faithful to him. ⁵ But put to death any interpreters of dreams or prophets that tell you to rebel against the Lord, who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Such people are evil and are trying to lead you away from the life that the Lord has commanded you to live. They must be put to death, in order to rid yourselves of this evil.

⁹ If we live a hundred years, we have lived an unusually long time, ¹⁰ but compared with all eternity, those years are like a drop of water in the ocean, like a single grain of sand. ¹¹ That is why the Lord is so patient with us, why he is so free with his mercy. ¹² He looks at us and knows that we are doomed to die; that is why he is so willing to forgive us. ¹³ We can show compassion to someone we know, but the Lord shows compassion for all humanity. He corrects us; he disciplines us; he teaches us. Like a shepherd tending sheep, he brings us back to himself. ¹⁴ He will have compassion on us if we accept his guidance and are eager for him to show us where we are wrong.