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13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord; moreover, he had consulted a medium, seeking guidance,(A)

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13 Saul died(A) because he was unfaithful(B) to the Lord; he did not keep(C) the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium(D) for guidance,

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“If any turn to mediums or spiritualists, prostituting themselves to them, I will set my face against them and will cut them off from the people.(A)

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“‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.(A)

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31 “Do not turn to mediums and spiritualists; do not seek them out, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.(A)

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31 “‘Do not turn to mediums(A) or seek out spiritists,(B) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

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23 For rebellion is no less a sin than divination,
    and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has also rejected you from being king.”(A)

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23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,(A)
    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected(B) the word of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

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19 Now if people say to you, “Consult the ghosts and the familiar spirits that chirp and mutter; should not a people consult their gods, the dead on behalf of the living,(A)

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The Darkness Turns to Light

19 When someone tells you to consult(A) mediums and spiritists,(B) who whisper and mutter,(C) should not a people inquire(D) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

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10 No one shall be found among you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer,(A) 11 or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord; it is because of such abhorrent practices that the Lord your God is driving them out before you.(B) 13 You must remain completely loyal to the Lord your God. 14 Although these nations that you are about to dispossess do give heed to soothsayers and diviners, as for you, the Lord your God does not permit you to do so.

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10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,(A) who practices divination(B) or sorcery,(C) interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,(D) 11 or casts spells,(E) or who is a medium or spiritist(F) or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.(G) 13 You must be blameless(H) before the Lord your God.(I)

The Prophet

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.(J) But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.

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Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants said to him, “There is a medium at Endor.”(A)

So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went there, he and two men with him. They came to the woman by night. And he said, “Consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you.”(B) The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?”(C) 10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He answered, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” 13 The king said to her, “Have no fear; what do you see?” The woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being[a] coming up out of the ground.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up; he is wrapped in a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance.(D)

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams, so I have summoned you to tell me what I should do.”(E) 16 Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you just as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.(F) 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you today.(G) 19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me; the Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”(H)

20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground filled with fear because of the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.

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Footnotes

  1. 28.13 Or a god or gods

Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,(A) so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,(B)” they said.

So Saul disguised(C) himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult(D) a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off(E) the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap(F) for my life to bring about my death?”

10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me?(G) You are Saul!”

13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.”(H)

14 “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe(I) is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed(J) from me. He no longer answers(K) me, either by prophets or by dreams.(L) So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn(M) the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey(N) the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath(O) against the Amalekites,(P) the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons(Q) will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 28:13 Or see spirits; or see gods

Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.(A)

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This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites(A) for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

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18 “You shall not permit a female sorcerer to live.(A)

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Paul and Silas in Prison

16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a female slave who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling.(A) 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you[a] the way of salvation.”(B) 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

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Footnotes

  1. 16.17 Other ancient authorities read to us

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(A) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(B) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,(C) who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.(D)

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Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great.(A) 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”(B) 11 And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

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Simon the Sorcerer

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(A) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(B) 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”(C) 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.

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He made his son pass through fire; he practiced soothsaying and augury and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.(A)

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He sacrificed his own son(A) in the fire, practiced divination,(B) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(C) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing(D) his anger.

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13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever,(A) 14 but now your kingdom will not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”(B)

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13 “You have done a foolish thing,(A)” Samuel said. “You have not kept(B) the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.(C) 14 But now your kingdom(D) will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart(E) and appointed(F) him ruler(G) of his people, because you have not kept(H) the Lord’s command.”

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