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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Leviticus 20:6

I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Familiar Spirits;   Sanitation;   Sorcery;   Witchcraft;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fortune Telling;   Magic;   Witchcraft;   The Topic Concordance - Counsel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Divination;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Magic;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Demons;   Magic;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Marriage;   Necromancy;   Punishment;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Witchcraft;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Familiar Spirit;   Wizard;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Punishments;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Crimes and Punishments;   Divination and Magic;   Leviticus;   Medium;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Death;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Peter;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Necromancer;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Magic;   Stoning;   Witch and wizard;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Magician;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Communion with Demons;   Divide;   Familiar;   Prophecy;   Punishments;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Necromancy;   Witchcraft;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The soul that turns to those who have familiar spirits, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
King James Version
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Lexham English Bible
As for the person who turns to the mediums and the soothsayers to prostitute after them, I will set my face against that person, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people.
New Century Version
"‘I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice, because that person is being unfaithful to me. So I will cut him off from his people.
New English Translation
"‘The person who turns to the spirits of the dead and familiar spirits to commit prostitution by going after them, I will set my face against that person and cut him off from the midst of his people.
Amplified Bible
'As for the person who turns to mediums [who consult the dead] or to spiritists, to play the prostitute after them, I shall set My face against that person and will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].
New American Standard Bible
'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the prostitute with them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If any turne after such as worke with spirits, and after soothsayers, to go a whoring after them, then will I set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
Legacy Standard Bible
‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
Complete Jewish Bible
"‘The person who turns to spirit-mediums and sorcerers to go fornicating after them — I will set myself against him and cut him off from his people.
Darby Translation
—And the soul that turneth unto necromancers and unto soothsayers, to go a whoring after them, I will set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Easy-to-Read Version
"I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and wizards for advice. Whoever does this is being unfaithful to me. So I will separate them from their people.
English Standard Version
"If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
George Lamsa Translation
And the person that goes after diviners and soothsayers to go astray after them, I will pour out my anger against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
Good News Translation
"If any of you go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead, I will turn against you and will no longer consider you one of my people.
Christian Standard Bible®
“Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.
Literal Translation
And the person who turns to mediums, and to spirit-knowers, to go whoring after them, I shall set my face against that person, and cut him off from the midst of his people.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
If eny soule turne him to ye soythsayers and expounders of tokens, so that he goeth a whorynge after them, I wyl set my face agaynst the same soule, and wyl rote him out from amonge his people.
American Standard Version
And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to play the harlot after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Bible in Basic English
And whoever goes after those who make use of spirits and wonder-workers, doing evil with them, against him will my face be turned, and he will be cut off from among his people.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If a soule turne hym selfe after suche as worke with spirites, and after soothsayers, to go a whoring after them, I wyll put my face agaynst that soule, and wyll cut hym of fro among his people.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the soul that turneth unto the ghosts, and unto the familiar spirits, to go astray after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
King James Version (1611)
And the soule that turneth after such as haue familiar spirits, and after wizards, to goe a whoring after them, I will euen set my face against that soule, and will cut him off from among his people.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the soul that shall follow those who have in them divining spirits, or enchanters, so as to go a whoring after them; I will set my face against that soul, and will destroy it from among its people.
English Revised Version
And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Berean Standard Bible
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If a man bowith to astronomyers, and false dyuynours, and doith fornycacioun with hem, Y schal sette my face ayens hym, and Y schal sle hym fro the mydis of hys puple.
Young's Literal Translation
`And the person who turneth unto those having familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to go a-whoring after them, I have even set My face against that person, and cut him off from the midst of his people.
Update Bible Version
And the soul that turns to the spiritists or the wizards, to prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go astray after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
World English Bible
The soul that turns to those who have familiar spirits, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
New King James Version
"And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
New Living Translation
"I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.
New Life Bible
‘I will go against the person who turns to those who speak with bad spirits and talk to the dead. In doing this, he sells himself to them. He will not be numbered among God's people.
New Revised Standard
If any turn to mediums and wizards, prostituting themselves to them, I will set my face against them, and will cut them off from the people.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The person also that turneth unto mediums and unto oracles, in going unchastely after them, then will I set my face against that person, and will cut him off out of the midst of his people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The soul that shall go aside after magicians, and soothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them: I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people.
Revised Standard Version
"If a person turns to mediums and wizards, playing the harlot after them, I will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
THE MESSAGE
"I will resolutely reject persons who dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums, prostituting themselves in their practices. I will cut them off from their people.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel: Death by stoning is the penalty for any citizens or foreigners in the country who sacrifice their children to the god Molech. 3 They have disgraced both the place where I am worshiped and my holy name, and so I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people. 4 Some of you may let them get away with human sacrifice, 5 but not me. If any of you worship Molech, I will turn against you and your entire family, and I will no longer let you belong to my people. 6 I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people. 7 Dedicate yourselves to me and be holy because I am the Lord your God. 8 I have chosen you as my people, and I expect you to obey my laws. 9 If you curse your father or mother, you will be put to death, and it will be your own fault.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

familiar: Leviticus 20:27, Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:10-14, Isaiah 8:19

go: Exodus 34:15, Exodus 34:16, Numbers 15:39, Psalms 73:27, Ezekiel 6:9, Hosea 4:12

cut him: 1 Chronicles 10:13, 1 Chronicles 10:14, In the days of Moses, superstition was almost the sensus communis of the human race, which then made severe punishment necessary: by means of the Christian dispensation such errors are now exploded, the cultivation of philosophy and natural history having harmonised and contributed their feebler share of light, so that we no longer have to deplore mischiefs occasioned by the silly curiosity attempting to unfold future events.

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:8 - the magicians of Egypt Exodus 22:18 - General Leviticus 18:29 - General Leviticus 23:30 - General Leviticus 26:17 - set Numbers 15:30 - doeth ought 1 Samuel 15:23 - witchcraft 1 Samuel 28:3 - put away 2 Chronicles 33:6 - he observed Psalms 106:39 - went Isaiah 2:6 - and are Jeremiah 44:11 - I will Malachi 3:5 - the sorcerers Acts 8:9 - used Acts 13:6 - certain 1 Peter 3:12 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 3:3
except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."
Genesis 20:6
God spoke to Abimelech in another dream and said: I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sleeping with Sarah and doing anything wrong.
Genesis 20:7
Her husband is a prophet. Let her go back to him, and his prayers will save you from death. But if you don't return her, you and all your people will die.
Genesis 26:11
Then Abimelech warned his people that anyone who even touched Isaac or Rebekah would be put to death.
Genesis 31:7
and that he keeps cheating me by changing my wages time after time. But God has protected me.
Genesis 35:5
While Jacob and his family were traveling through Canaan, God terrified the people in the towns so much that no one dared bother them.
Genesis 39:9
No one in my master's house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this."
Exodus 34:24
I will force the nations out of your land and enlarge your borders. Then no one will try to take your property when you come to worship me these three times each year.
1 Samuel 25:26
but please take this gift of food that I've brought and share it with your followers. The Lord has kept you from taking revenge and from killing innocent people. But I hope your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you will end up like Nabal. I swear this by the living Lord and by your life.
1 Samuel 25:34
If you hadn't come to meet me so quickly, every man and boy in Nabal's family and in his servants' families would have been killed by morning. I swear by the living Lord God of Israel who protected you that this is the truth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits,.... The man or woman that has respect unto them, seeks after them, and inquires of them, in order to get knowledge of things:

and after wizards who pretend to tell fortunes, and discover lost and stolen goods, :-;

to go a whoring after them; for to consult them is to forsake the Lord, and have recourse to Satan and his instruments; to relinquish their trust in God, and put confidence in them, and attribute such things to them as only belong to God, even the knowledge of things future; and this is to commit idolatry, which is spiritual adultery:

I will even set my face against that soul; show like resentment and indignation as at him that gives his seed to Molech:

and will cut him off from among his people; in case his people do not bear witness against him, but hide their eyes, and wink at his crimes, or the civil magistrate does not condemn and punish him; the Targum of Jonathan is,

"I will destroy him by the pestilence.''

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 20:6. Familiar spiritsLeviticus 19:31; and "Exodus 22:18".


 
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