Do Not Follow Other Nations

⁹ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, don’t learn to do the ·hateful [detestable; abhorrent; abominable] things the other nations do. ¹⁰ Don’t let anyone among you offer a son or daughter as a sacrifice in the fire [12:30–31]. Don’t let anyone use ·magic [divination; Ex. 7:11; Ezek. 21:21] or witchcraft, or ·try to explain the meaning of signs [augury or sorcery]. ¹¹ Don’t let anyone ·try to control others with magic [cast spells], and don’t let them ·be mediums [consult/inquire of ghosts or spirits] or try to ·talk with the spirits of [consult] dead people [1 Sam. 28]. ¹² The Lord ·hates [detests] anyone who does these things. Because the other nations do these things, the Lord your God will ·force [dispossess] them out of the land ahead of you. ¹³ But you must be ·innocent [blameless] in the presence of the Lord your God.

The Lord’s Special Prophet

¹⁴ The nations you will ·force out [dispossess] listen to people who use ·magic [divination] and witchcraft, but the Lord your God will not let you do those things.