Isaiah 8:19

Easy To Read Version

Some people say, “Ask the fortune tellers and wizards what to do.” (These fortune tellers and wizards whisper and make sounds like birds \{to make people think that they know secret things\}.) \{But I tell you that\} people should ask their God \{for help\}! Those fortune tellers and wizards ask dead people what to do. Why should living people ask something from the dead?

Cross References

Genesis 41:24

Then the thin heads of grain ate the seven good heads of grain.

2 Kings 1:3

But the Lord’s angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, “King Ahaziah has sent some messengers from Samaria. Go meet those men. Say to them, ‘There is a God in Israel! So why are you men going to ask questions from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?

2 Kings 21:6

Manasseh sacrificed his own son and burned him on the altar. [255] Manasseh used different ways of trying to know the future. He visited mediums [256] and wizards. [257]

2 Kings 23:24

Josiah destroyed the mediums, [304] wizards, [305] the house gods, the idols, [306] and all the horrible things people worshiped in Judah and Jerusalem. Josiah did this to obey the Law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the Lord’s temple. [307]

1 Chronicles 10:13

Saul died because he was not faithful to the Lord. Saul did not obey the Lord’s word. Saul also went to a medium {\cf2\super [108]} and asked her for advice

2 Chronicles 33:6

Manasseh also burned his own children for a sacrifice {\cf2\super [403]} in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. {\cf2\super [404]} Manasseh also used magic by doing soothsaying, divination, and sorcery. {\cf2\super [405]} He talked with mediums {\cf2\super [406]} and wizards. {\cf2\super [407]} Manasseh did many things that the Lord said was wrong, and this made the Lord angry.

Psalm 106:28

Then at Baal Peor,\par God’s people joined in worshiping Baal.\par God’s people \{joined in the wild parties\par and\} ate sacrifices to honor dead people. {\cf2\super [561]} \par

Isaiah 19:3

The people of Egypt will be confused. The people will ask their false gods and wise men what they should do. The people will ask their wizards and magicians. But their advice will be worthless.”

Isaiah 26:14

Those dead \{lords {\cf2\super [243]} \} will not come to life.\par Those ghosts will not rise from death.\par You decided to destroy them.\par And you destroyed everything that makes us think about them.\par

Isaiah 29:4

You were \{defeated and\} pulled to the ground. Now, I hear your voice rising from the ground like the voice of a ghost. Your words come like a quiet voice from the dirt.”

Isaiah 30:2

These children are going down to Egypt for help, but they did not ask me if that was the right thing to do. They hope they will be saved by the Pharaoh. {\cf2\super [272]} They want Egypt to protect them.

Isaiah 45:11

The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel. He made Israel. And the Lord says,

Isaiah 47:12

You worked hard all your life\par learning tricks and magic.\par So, start using your tricks and magic!\par Maybe those tricks will help you.\par Maybe you will be able to scare someone.\par

Isaiah 47:13

You have many, many advisers.\par Are you tired of the advice they give?\par Then send out your men that read\par the stars.\par They are able to tell when the month starts.\par So maybe they can tell you\par when your troubles will come.\par

Jeremiah 10:10

But the Lord is the only true God.\par He is the only God who is truly alive.\par He is the King that rules forever.\par The earth shakes when God is angry.\par The people of the nations can’t stop his anger.\par

Jeremiah 27:9

So don’t listen to your prophets. Don’t listen to the people that use magic to tell what will happen in the future. Don’t listen to people that say they can interpret dreams. Don’t listen to people that talk to the dead or to people that practice magic. All those people tell you, “You will not be slaves to the king of Babylon.”

Leviticus 19:31

“Don’t go to mediums [343] or wizards [344] for advice. Don’t go to them; they will only make you unclean. [345] I am the Lord your God!

Leviticus 20:6

“I will be against any person who goes to mediums [348] and wizards [349] for advice. That person is being unfaithful to me. So I will separate that person from his people.

Micah 5:12

You will no longer try to do magic.\par You will not have any more people that try to tell the future.\par

Acts 16:16

One time something happened to us while we were going to the place for prayer. A servant girl met us. She had a special spirit {\cf2\super [338]} in her. This spirit gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her.

Deuteronomy 18:10

Don’t sacrifice your sons or daughters in the fires on your altars. [117] Don’t try to learn what will happen in the future by talking to a fortune teller or by going to a magician, a witch or a sorcerer.

Deuteronomy 18:11

Don’t let anyone try to put magic spells on other people. Don’t let any of your people become a medium [118] or a wizard. [119] And no person should try to talk with someone that has died.

1 Thessalonians 1:9

People everywhere tell about the good way you accepted us when we were there with you. Those people tell about how you stopped worshiping idols {\cf2\super [3]} and changed to serve the living and true God.

2 Peter 2:1

In the past there were false prophets {\cf2\super [6]} among \{God’s\} people. It is the same now. You will have some false teachers in your group. They will teach things that are wrong—teachings that will make people be lost. And those false teachers will teach in a way that will be hard for you to see that they are wrong. They will even refuse to accept the Master (Jesus) who bought their freedom. And so they will quickly destroy themselves.

1 Samuel 28:11

The woman asked, “Who do you want me to bring up for you?”

1 Samuel 28:16

Samuel said, “The Lord left you. Now he is with your neighbor (David). So why are you bothering me?

1 Samuel 28:7

Finally, Saul said to his officers, “Find me a woman who is a medium. [209] Then I can go ask her what will happen {in this war}.”

1 Samuel 28:8

Saul put on different clothes so no one would know who he was. That night Saul and two of his men went to see the woman. Saul said {to the woman}, “I want you to bring up a ghost who can tell me what will happen in the future. You must call for the ghost of the person I name.”