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93 Verses about the Deception of Fortune Tellers and Horoscopes
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after Ovos (Mediums) and Yidonim (Spiritists), to be defiled by them: I am Hashem Eloheichem.
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto Shomayim, and when thou seest the shemesh, and the yarei'ach, and the kokhavim, even all the tz'va HaShomayim, shouldest be driven to hishtachaveh (bow down, worship) them, and serve them which Hashem Eloheicha hath divided unto kol Amim under kol HaShomayim.
They have seen shav (vanity) and kesem kazav (lying divination), saying, Hashem saith; and Hashem hath not sent them; yet they hope that their davar will be fulfilled.
Therefore do not pay heed to your nevi'im, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve Melech Bavel;
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy etzot (counsels). Let now stand up the hovrev Shomayim (the dissectors of the heavens, astrologers), the chozim bakochavim (stargazers), the ones that predict the future by Rosh Chodesh, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
Hinei, they shall be as kash (stubble, straw); the eish shall burn them; they shall not save their nefesh from the power of the flame; there shall not be a hot coal to warm them, nor eish to sit before.
And the nefesh that turneth to Ovos (Mediums) and Yidonim (Spiritists), to go a-whoring after them, I will even set My face against that nefesh, and will cut him off from among his people.
Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy sacred pillars out of the midst of thee; and lo tishtachaveh (thou shalt no more bow down to, worship) the work of thine hands.
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto mediums that have familiar spirits, and unto spiritists that whisper, and that mutter: should not Am seek unto Elohav? Should they consult the mesim (dead ones) for the benefit of the chayyim (living)?
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his ben or his bat to pass through the eish or kosem kesamim (a diviner of divination) or a m'onen (soothsayer, astrologer), or a m'nachesh (one who interprets omens), or a mekhashshef (witch).
Or one who casts spells, or one who inquires of a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a doresh el hamesim (a consulter of the dead ones, i.e., a necromancer).
For all that do these things are a to'avat Hashem; and because of these to'evot, Hashem Eloheicha is about to drive them out before thee.
Kol shochev (every one having sexual relations) with a behemah shall surely be put to death.
Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, The raz which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the enchanters, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;
For thus saith Hashem Tzva'os Elohei Yisroel: Let not your nevi'im and your kesamim that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither pay heed to your chalomot which ye cause to be dreamed.
But draw near to here, ye bnei onenah (you children of a sorceress), zera mena'ef (offspring of an adulterer) and she who plays the zonah.
For the terafim (idols) have spoken aven (deceit, nothing), and the diviners envision sheker, and have told false chalomot (dreams); hevel is their comfort; therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a ro'eh (shepherd).
And they caused their banim and their banot to pass through the eish, and practiced kesamim and practiced witchcraft, and sold themselves to do rah in the eyes of Hashem, to provoke Him to anger.
Then Hashem said unto me, The nevi'im prophesy sheker in My Shem; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them; they prophesy unto you a chazon sheker (false vision) and kesem (divination, pagan fortunetelling), and a worthless thing, and the delusion of their lev.
That annuls the otot of the baddim (liars, false prophets), and maketh kosemim (diviners, soothsayers) into madmen; that turneth back chachamim, and maketh their da'as (knowledge, science) foolishness;
And it came about when we were going to where they held the minyan, that a certain shifchah having a ruach of the python came out to meet us. She was bringing much profit to her adonim by divination.
This one was following Rav Sha'ul, crying out, saying, These anashim are avadim of G-d HaElyon and are proclaiming to you the Derech HaYeshu'at Eloheinu.
And this kviusdik thing she was doing for many yamim; but Rav Sha'ul, whom she wouldn't stop derkutshen, turned to the ruach, and said, I command you in haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to come out from her! And it came out in the same hour.
Chaverim, do not believe every ruach. But test the ruchot (spirits), if they be of Hashem, because many nevi'ei sheker have gone out into the Olam Hazeh.
For meshichei sheker (false moshiachs) will arise, and neviei sheker (false prophets), and they will give otot gedolim (great signs) and moftim (wonders), so as to deceive, if possible, even the Bechirim (Chosen ones).
Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os, Pay no heed unto the devarim of the nevi'im that prophesy unto you; they are deluding you; they speak a chazon (vision) of their own lev, and not out of the mouth of Hashem.
But these two things shall overtake thee in a rega (moment), in yom echad, shechol (the loss of children), and almon (widowhood); they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy kashefanut (sorceries, witchcraft) and for the otzmah (great abundance) of thine khavarim (spells, magic, enchantments).
And they rejected His chukkot, and His brit (covenant) that He made with their avot, and His edot (testimonies, warnings) which He testified against them; and they followed after hevel, and became hevel, and went after the Goyim that were all around them, concerning whom Hashem had charged them, that they should not do like them.
And no wonder! For even HaSatan transforms himself into a malach ohr (an angel of light);
To the torah (teaching of G-d) and to the te'udah (recorded testimony); if they speak not according to Davar HaZeh, it is because there is no shachar (dawn, light) in them.
For these Goyim, which thou shalt dispossess, paid heed unto soothsayers, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Hashem Eloheicha hath not suffered thee so to do.
Therefore Thou hast abandoned Thy people Bais Ya'akov, because they have found their fullness from Kedem (the East), and practice divination like the Pelishtim, and they clasp hands contentedly with yaldei nochrim (children of foreigners).
Ye shall not eat any thing with the dahm; neither shall ye practice divination, nor practice sorcery.
Hineni, I am against them that prophesy chalomot sheker, saith Hashem, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their recklessness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith Hashem.
For meri (rebellion) is as the chattat (sin) of kesem (witchcraft, soothsaying, divination), and stubbornness is as heathenish iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Devar Hashem, He hath also rejected thee from being Melech.
But the Malach Hashem said to Eliyahu HaTishbi, Arise, go up to meet the malachim of Melech Shomron, and say unto them, Is it because there is no Elohim in Yisroel, that ye go to inquire of Ba'al-Zevuv elohei Ekron?
And a number of the ones who had practiced kishshuf (magic, sorcery) brought together their occult sfarim and were burning them publicly; and they added up the price of these occult sfarim, and they found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces.
So Sha'ul died for his ma'al (unfaithfulness) which he committed against Hashem, even against the Devar Hashem, over which he was not shomer, and also for consulting an ov (one with a familiar spirit) to seek guidance;
And in Yom HaHu it shall come to pass, saith Hashem Tzva'os, that I will cut off the shmot (names) of the atzabim (idols) out of ha'aretz, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the nevi'im and the ruach hatum'ah (unclean spirit) to pass from ha'aretz.
Because ye have said, We have cut a brit with mavet, and with Sheol are we in agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made kazav our refuge, and under sheker have we hid ourselves;
For from the katan of them even unto the gadol of them, every one is given to greediness for unjust gain; and from the navi even unto the kohen, every one doeth sheker (deceit, falsehood).
They have provided superficial treatment for Ami, saying: Shalom, shalom; v'ein shalom.
The Bi'as Anti-Moshiach (Coming, Parousia, of Anti-Moshiach) is according to the working of HaSatan with all false ko'ach (power) and otot (signs) and pseudo moftim (wonders),
And with all deception of resha (wickedness) for those who are perishing, because they were not being mekabel (receiving) the Ahavas HaEmes (Love of the Truth) so that they have the Geulah deliverance.
But Elymas the magician was opposing them — for thus is his name translated — and was seeking to be mashpia on the proconsul (seeking to sway him to think undesirably) about the emunah (faith).
But Rav Sha'ul, the one also called Paulos, having been filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, gazed at him,
and said, O ish full of all mirmah (deceit, fraud) and all resha, ben haSatan, oyev (enemy) of all Tzedek, will you not cease making crooked the straight paths of Hashem?
But anashim ra'im and impostors will progress to their abysmal worst, misleading and being misled.
And thou wentest to Melech; with shemen thou didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy envoys far, even down unto Sheol.
Then Pharaoh also called the chachamim and the mechashefim: now the charetumei Mitzrayim, they also did in like manner with their secret lore.
Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hoy (woe, doom) unto the foolish nevi'im, that follow their own ruach, and have seen nothing!
And he caused his banot to pass through the eish in the Gey Ben Hinnom; also he practiced astrology, fortune-telling, and witchcraft, and necromancy and consulted mediums and spiritists; he wrought rah in the eyes of Hashem, to provoke Him to anger.
For there shall be no more any chazon shav (vain vision) nor smooth divination within Bais Yisroel.
Ami (My people) consult a piece of wood, and their staff declareth unto them; for the ruach zenunim hath caused them to err, and they have played the zonah, forsaking Eloheihem.
They traded in HaEmes Hashem (the Truth of G-d) for sheker, for a lie, and worshiped and served HaBri'ah (the Creature, the Creation) rather than HaBo're (the Beshefer), hamvorach l'olamim. Omein (who is blessed forever. Amen).
But there were also nevi'ei sheker (false prophets) among Am Yisroel just as also there will be morei sheker among you. These false teachers will secretly bring in heretical doctrines of koferim ba-ikkarim (deniers of fundamentals), producing machshelah (ruin), as these heretics even become meshummad, denying the Ribbono Shel Olam who redeemed them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
Beware of the neviei hasheker (false prophets), who come to you in the malbush (clothing) of kevasim (sheep), but within are ravenous ze'evim (wolves).
What thing soever I command you, be shomer to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor take away or diminish from it.
If there arise among you a navi, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee an ot (sign) or a mofet (wonder),
And the ot (sign) or the mofet (wonder) come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after elohim acherim, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Stand now with thine khavarim (spells, magic, enchantments), and with the multitude of thy kashefanut (sorceries, witchcraft) wherein thou hast toiled from thy neurim; perhaps thou shalt be able to succeed, perhaps thou mayest cause terror.
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his ben or his bat to pass through the eish or kosem kesamim (a diviner of divination) or a m'onen (soothsayer, astrologer), or a m'nachesh (one who interprets omens), or a mekhashshef (witch).
Now a certain ish by name Shim'on was previously in the city practicing magic and astonishing the people of Shomron, saying that he himself was an ish of gadlus (with remarkable superiority) and gadol.
And to this certain Shim'on everyone from katon to gadol was paying attention, saying, Hinei! This man is the ko'ach (power) of Hashem, the ko'ach hagadol.
And they were giving heed to him, because he for a long time had astonished them by magic tricks.
Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us nekhochot (right things), speak unto us chalakot (smooth things), prophesy machatallot (deceits, illusions);
The nevi'im prophesy falsely, and the kohanim rule at their direction; and My people love to have it this way; but what will ye do in the end?
But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered, Katuv (It is written), LO AL HALECHEM LVADOH YCHEYEH HAADAM, KI AL KOL MOTZAH FI HASHEM (Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of Hashem).
Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thy passion was poured out, and thy ervah uncovered through thy zonah harlotry with thy lovers, and with all the gillulim (idols) of thy to'avot, and by the dahm of thy banim, which thou didst give unto them;
They sacrificed unto shedim (demons), not to G-d; to elohim whom they knew not, to chadashim (new g-ds), new arrivals, whom Avoteichem feared not.
I appeal to you, Achim b'Moshiach, to look out for those who cause kitot (sects) and nisyonot (temptations) contrary to the Torah which you learned, and keep away from them.
For such people do not serve Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu but their own appetites, and through smooth loshon and fine sounding words they deceive the levavot of the unsuspecting.
Let no one deceive you with empty devarim. For, because of these things the Charon Af Hashem comes upon the Bnei HaMeri (sons of Rebellion).
But they paid heed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the inclinations of the stubbornness of their lev harah (evil heart), and went backward, and not forward.
And he made bno pass through the eish, and practiced sorcery, and witchcraft, and dealt with familiar spirits and spiritists; he wrought much rah in the eyes of Hashem, to provoke Him to anger.
And the charetumei Mitzrayim did so with their secret lore: and lev Pharaoh was hardened, neither did he pay heed unto them; as Hashem had said.
But profane chatter bereft of kedushah, avoid, for such will advance that which is frai (irreligious).
And when Shim'on saw that through the laying on of hands of Moshiachʼs Shlichim that the Ruach Hakodesh is given, he brought to them kesef,
Saying, Give me also this samchut that on whomever I may lay my hands such may receive the Ruach Hakodesh.
But Kefa said to him, May your kesef perish with you because the matnat Hashem you thought by kesef to acquire.
No one is able to serve two adonim (masters). For either he will have sinah (hatred) for the one and ahavah (love) for the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve Hashem and Mammon (Money).
Hoy (woe, doom) to the banim sorerim (obstinately rebellious children), saith Hashem, that take etzah, but not from Me; and in their plans weave a web, but not of My Ruach, that they may heap up chattat upon chattat;
A chorev (drought) is upon her mayim; and they shall be dried up; for it is the eretz pesalim (land of idols), and they go mad over idols.
Go thee one way or the other, either on right hand, or on left, wherever thy face is appointed.
I have not sent these nevi'im, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
Therefore shall ra'ah come upon thee; thou shalt not know its shachar (dawn, from whence it riseth); and tragedy will befall thee; thou shalt not be able to make kofer (ransom) to ward it off; and sho'ah (catastrophe) shall come upon thee pitom (suddenly), which thou shalt not foresee or know.
Stand now with thine khavarim (spells, magic, enchantments), and with the multitude of thy kashefanut (sorceries, witchcraft) wherein thou hast toiled from thy neurim; perhaps thou shalt be able to succeed, perhaps thou mayest cause terror.
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy etzot (counsels). Let now stand up the hovrev Shomayim (the dissectors of the heavens, astrologers), the chozim bakochavim (stargazers), the ones that predict the future by Rosh Chodesh, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
And from HaEmes of Hashem they will turn their ear away shmad and to aggadah they will be turned aside.
Nor to focus on aggadah and endless toldot (genealogies) which give rise to useless speculations in contrast to Hashemʼs imun (training) in emunah.
He said unto him, I am a navi also as thou art; and a malach spoke unto me by the Devar Hashem, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine bais, that he may eat lechem and drink mayim. But he lied unto him.
Outside are the kelevim (dogs) and the mekhashfim (sorcerers, abusers of drugs); and the zonim (sexually immoral) and the rotzkhim (murderers) and the ovdei haelilim (idolaters) and everyone loving and practicing sheker.
Then shall the chozim (seers) be ashamed, and the kosemim (diviners) blush in bushah; yea, they shall all cover their safam (mustache); ki ein ma'aneh Elohim (for there is no answer of G-d).
Thou hast rejected all them that err from Thy chukkim: for their deceitfulness is sheker (falsehood).
Now the ma'asei habasar are manifest, dehainu (being): zenut (fornication), tum'ah (impurity), zimmah (licentiousness),
Avodah zarah (idolatry), kashefanut (sorcery, witchcraft), eivot (enmities), merivah (strife), kinah (jealousy), rogez (anger), anochiyut (selfishness), machalokot (dissensions), kitot (sects),
Tzarut ayin (envyings), shichrut (drunkenness), holelut (carousing) and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, as I said previously, that the ones practicing such things will not receive the nachalah (inheritance) of the Malchut Hashem.
But for those of morech lev (cowardliness) and those without emunah (faith) and the ones having become vile and ratzchaniyot (murderers) and zonim (fornicators) and mekhashfim (sorcerers) and ovdei haelilim (idolaters) and all the shakranit (liars), their chelek will be in the Agam (Lake) burning with Eish (fire) and Gofrit (sulfur), which is HaMavet HaSheyni (the Second Death).”
They have seen shav (vanity) and kesem kazav (lying divination), saying, Hashem saith; and Hashem hath not sent them; yet they hope that their davar will be fulfilled.
Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a kesem kazav (lying divination), whereas ye say, Hashem saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because ye have spoken shav (vanity, futility) and seen kazav (lie), therefore, hineni, I am against you, saith Adonoi Hashem.
And Mine yad shall be against the nevi'im that see shav (vanity, futility), and that divine kazav (lie): they shall not be in the sod (council) of My people, neither shall they be written in the Ketav (Register) of Bais Yisroel, neither shall they enter into Admat Yisroel; and ye shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto mediums that have familiar spirits, and unto spiritists that whisper, and that mutter: should not Am seek unto Elohav? Should they consult the mesim (dead ones) for the benefit of the chayyim (living)?
To the torah (teaching of G-d) and to the te'udah (recorded testimony); if they speak not according to Davar HaZeh, it is because there is no shachar (dawn, light) in them.
I will set no devar beliyya'al before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that fall away; it shall not cleave to me.
And as far as G-dʼs worthiness to be recognized by them was concerned, vi-bahlt (since) they marked G-d down as failing the test, therefore G-d (in wrath) delivered them over to a failure of a brain, one that has a mind bent on doing what is perversely unworthy
— filled with all resha, wickedness, chamdanut (greediness), and what is damagingly evil — full of kin'a (jealousy), retzach (murder), rivalry, mirmah (deceit), merivah (strife), remiyah (guile, deceit), all kinds of lashon hora, malicious,
Backbiters, slanderers, haters of G-d, insolent, arrogant, braggarts, contrivers of evil, disobedient to horim.
Without seichel, without ne'emanut (faithfulness), without ahavah (love), without rachamanut.
Although they have known full well the just requirements of Hashem, that is, that those who practice such things are Bnei mavet, they not only do the very same, but even give their perverted bracha (blessing) on those who practice such. For this reason, you are without terutz (excuse) for yourself (before an angry G-d), you, sir, each one of you who passes judgment.
Now the Ruach HaKodesh says befeirush (explicitly) that in the acharit hayamim some will become meshummad (apostate) from the emunah, giving heed to deceitful ruchot (spirits) and teachings of shedim,
Thus saith Hashem: Learn not the Derech HaGoyim, and be not in awe of the otot HaShomayim; though the Goyim are in awe of them.
Beware lest there be anyone of you taken captive through philosophical tevunah (wisdom) and empty deceit according to the kabbalah (oral tradition) of mere Bnei Adam, according to the ikkarim (basic principles) of the Olam Hazeh and not according to Moshiach;
The derech of a fool is yashar (right) in his own eynayim, but he that payeth heed unto etzah is chacham (wise).