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? Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Amplified Bible - Classic Edition And when the people [instead of putting their trust in God] shall say to you, Consult for direction mediums and wizards who chirp and mutter, should not a people seek and consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? American Standard Version (1901) And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead? Common English Bible If they say to you: “Consult the ghosts and the spirits that chirp and mutter. (Shouldn’t a people consult its gods?) Consult the dead on behalf of the living Catholic Public Domain Version And though they say to you, "Seek from seers and diviners," they who hiss in their incantations, should not the people seek from their God, for the sake of the living, and not from the dead? Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And when they shall say to you: Seek of pythons, and of diviners, who mutter in their enchantments: should not the people seek of their God, for the living of the dead? |
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?
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]
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]
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
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.
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
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.”
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
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.”
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.
The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel. He made Israel. And the Lord says,
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
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
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
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.”
“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!
“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.
You will no longer try to do magic.\par You will not have any more people that try to tell the future.\par
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Samuel said, “The Lord left you. Now he is with your neighbor (David). So why are you bothering me?
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}.”
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.”