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72 Bible Verses about the Deception of Spiritual Practices
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 no wonder! For even HaSatan transforms himself into a malach ohr (an angel of light);
An ish also or isha who is an Ov (Medium) or a Yidoni (Spiritist), shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones; their dahm shall be upon them.
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.
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.
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.
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after Ovos (Mediums) and Yidonim (Spiritists), to be defiled by them: I am Hashem Eloheichem.
Ye shall not eat any thing with the dahm; neither shall ye practice divination, nor practice sorcery.
And the rest of the Bnei Adam, the ones not killed by these makkot (plagues), did not make teshuva and turn from the ma'asim (deeds) of their hands or forsake worship of shedim (demons) and the itztzavim (idols, images, tzelamim), those of gold and of silver and of bronze and of stone and of wood, which neither are able to see nor to hear nor to walk.
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),
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.
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.
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.
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;
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;
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;
Kol shochev (every one having sexual relations) with a behemah shall surely be put to death.
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.
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.
Avodah zarah (idolatry), kashefanut (sorcery, witchcraft), eivot (enmities), merivah (strife), kinah (jealousy), rogez (anger), anochiyut (selfishness), machalokot (dissensions), kitot (sects),
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 inquired not of Hashem; therefore He slaughtered him, and turned over the kingdom unto Dovid Ben Yishai.
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?
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.
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 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.
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).
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,
Therefore ye shall see no longer shav (vanity, futility), nor practice divinations; for I will save My people out of your yad; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.
Because of their ra'ah (evil) which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn ketoret, and to serve elohim acherim, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor avoteichem.
Howbeit I sent unto you all My avadim the Nevi'im, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this to'evah (abominable thing) that I hate.
For the [religious] chukkot (customs, statutes) of the nations are vain delusions; for one cutteth etz out of the ya'ar (forest), the ma'aseh (handiwork) of the hands of the charash (workman, artisan), with the axe.
Go thee one way or the other, either on right hand, or on left, wherever thy face is appointed.
And what agreement has the Heikhal of Hashem with elilim? For we are a Heikhal of the Elohim Chayyim as G-d said, V'HITHALLACHTI B'TOCHCHEM (And I will walk in the midst of you), IT WILL BE MISHKANI ALEHEM (dwelling place of me with them), V'HAYU LI L'AM VAANI EHEYEH LAHEM LELOHIM (And they will be to me as people and I will be to them as G-d).
And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hoy (woe, doom) to the seamstresses of magic charms on wrists, who make mispachot (amulets) for the rosh of every size to hunt nefashot! Will ye hunt the nefashot of My people, and yet save your own nefashot alive?
And will ye profane Me among My people for handfuls of se'orim and for pieces of lechem, to slay the nefashot that should not die, and to save the nefashot alive that should not live, by your kazav (lying) to My people that hear your kazav?
Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against your magic charms, wherewith ye there hunt to ensnare the nefashot like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the nefashot go, even the nefashot that ye hunt like birds.
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).
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.
And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect; and make no mention of the shem elohim acherim, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
This is not the Chochmah coming down and descending from above, but is of the Olam Hazeh, of this world and of shedim.
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;
For they prophesy sheker unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
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.
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).”
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).
By their perot (fruits) you will have da'as of them. Surely grapes are not gathered from thorns nor figs from thistles, are they?
So every etz tov (good tree) produces pri tov (good fruit), but the etz nishchat (corrupt tree) produces pri rah.
An etz tov is not able to produce pri rah nor is an etz nishchat able to produce pri tov.
Kol etz (every tree) not producing pri tov is cut off and is thrown into HaEish (the Fire).
Therefore, by their perot (fruits) you shall have da'as of them.
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).
And the ruach Mitzrayim shall be disheartened within him; and I will frustrate the etzah thereof; and they shall consult the elilim (idols, false g-ds), and to the ittim (sorcerers, necromancers), and to the ovot (mediums with familiar spirits), and to the wizards.
For meshichei sheker (false moshiachs) will arise, and neviei sheker (false prophets), and they will perform otot and moftim so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, the Bechirim.
But test kol davar (everything); hold fast to haTov.
Abstain from every appearance of ra'ah (evil).
And no wonder! For even HaSatan transforms himself into a malach ohr (an angel of light);
It is no big “megillah,” therefore, if also Hasatanʼs ministers transform themselves as ministers of Tzedek. Their end will be according to their ma'asim.
And the rest of the Bnei Adam, the ones not killed by these makkot (plagues), did not make teshuva and turn from the ma'asim (deeds) of their hands or forsake worship of shedim (demons) and the itztzavim (idols, images, tzelamim), those of gold and of silver and of bronze and of stone and of wood, which neither are able to see nor to hear nor to walk.
And they did not make teshuva (repentance, turning from sin to G-d) of the retzichot (murders) of them nor of the kishufim (sorceries) of them nor of the zenunim (fornication) of them nor of the gneyvot (thefts) of them.
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).
Then Pharaoh also called the chachamim and the mechashefim: now the charetumei Mitzrayim, they also did in like manner with their secret lore.
For they cast down every man his matteh, and they became serpents: but the matteh Aharon swallowed up their mattot.
Then said Sha'ul unto his avadim, Seek me an isha that is a ba'alat ov (medium, a person with a familiar spirit), that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his avadim said to him, Hinei, there is an eshet ba'alat ov at Ein-Dor.
And Sha'ul disguised himself, and put on begadim acherim, and he went, and two anashim with him, and they came to the isha by lailah; and he said, divine for me by the ov (familiar spirit), and bring him up for me, whom I shall name unto thee.
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.
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;
Thou shalt not give heed unto the devarim of that navi, or that dreamer of dreams; for Hashem Eloheichem is testing you, to know whether ye love Hashem Eloheichem with all your lev and with all your nefesh.
Ye shall walk after Hashem Eloheichem, and fear Him, and be shomer over His mitzvot, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and have deveykus unto Him.
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;
But there is a G-d in Shomayim that revealeth razim, and maketh known to the king Nevukhadnetzar what shall be in the acharit hayamim. Thy chalom (dream), and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:
And the ohr of a menorah would shine in you no more, and the kol (voice) of a choson (bridegroom) and of a kallah (bride) would be heard in you no more; because your merchants were the gedolim (the great) of ha'aretz (the earth), because by your kashefanut (sorcery) were all the Goyim deceived,
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.
No, the things which they sacrifice, YIZB'CHU LASHEDIM LO ELOHIM (They sacrificed to demons which were not G-d). Now I do not want you to become sharers with the shedim (demons).
Having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain ish, a magician, a Jewish navi sheker, by name of Bar-Yehoshua,
who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an ish of seichel. This one, having summoned Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul, sought to hear the dvar Hashem.
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?
Now — hinei — the yad Hashem is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the shemesh (sun) for awhile. Immediately mistiness and choshech (darkness) fell on him, and, going about, he was seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
Thou shalt neither mistreat a ger, nor oppress him; for ye were gerim in Eretz Mitzrayim.
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.
And the great Dragon, that NACHASH HaKadmoni (Ancient Serpent) was thrown down, the one being called the Malshin (Informer, Accuser) and HaSatan, the one deceiving the whole inhabited world. He was thrown to ha'aretz (the earth) and the malachim of him were thrown down with him.
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).
For certain men, anshei resha (men of wickedness), written down long ago for this harsha'ah (condemnation), have infiltrated our ranks, men twisting the Chen v'Chesed HaElokeinu into a license for sensual self-indulgence and denying our only Ribboneinu and Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.
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.
Moreover the mediums with familiar spirits, and the yidonim (spiritists), and the terafim, and the gillulim (idols), and all the shikkutzim that were seen in Eretz Yehudah and in Yerushalayim, did Yoshiyah put away, that he might confirm the Divrei HaTorah which were written in the Sefer that Chilkiyah HaKohen found in the Beis Hashem.
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.
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.
But anashim ra'im and impostors will progress to their abysmal worst, misleading and being misled.