There are people who get messages from those who have died. But these people only whisper words that are barely heard. Suppose someone tells you to ask for advice from these people. Shouldn’t you ask for advice from your God instead? Why should you get advice from dead people to help those who are alive?

有人对你们说：“当求问那些交鬼的和行巫术的，就是声音绵蛮，言语微细的。”你们便回答说：“百姓不当求问自己的神吗？岂可为活人求问死人呢？”

有人对你们说：“当求问招魂的与行巫术的，他们唧唧喳喳，念念有词。”然而，百姓不当求问自己的上帝吗？岂可为活人求问死人呢？

有人对你们说：“当求问招魂的与行巫术的，他们唧唧喳喳，念念有词。”然而，百姓不当求问自己的神吗？岂可为活人求问死人呢？

有人让你们去求问那些念念有词的巫师和术士，你们不要去。你们要去求问你们的上帝，活人的事怎能求问死人呢？

有人对你们说：“要求问那些交鬼的和行巫术的，就是那些喃喃细语的人。”一族之民不应当求问自己的神吗？他们怎能为活人求问死人呢？

尽管有人对你们说：“求问那些喃喃自语、念念有词的招魂者和通灵者吧”，但百姓难道不应当求问自己的神吗？难道应当为活人求问死人吗？

有人對你們說：「當求問那些交鬼的和行巫術的，就是聲音綿蠻，言語微細的。」你們便回答說：「百姓不當求問自己的神嗎？豈可為活人求問死人呢？」

有人對你們說：「當求問招魂的與行巫術的，他們唧唧喳喳，念念有詞。」然而，百姓不當求問自己的上帝嗎？豈可為活人求問死人呢？

有人對你們說：「當求問招魂的與行巫術的，他們唧唧喳喳，念念有詞。」然而，百姓不當求問自己的神嗎？豈可為活人求問死人呢？

有人讓你們去求問那些念念有詞的巫師和術士，你們不要去。你們要去求問你們的上帝，活人的事怎能求問死人呢？

有人對你們說：“要求問那些交鬼的和行巫術的，就是那些喃喃細語的人。”一族之民不應當求問自己的神嗎？他們怎能為活人求問死人呢？

有人對你們說：『要求問那些交鬼的和行巫術的，就是那啁啾叫嗡嗡鳴的人。一族之民難道不能求問自己的神、而為活人去求問死人麼？』

儘管有人對你們說：「求問那些喃喃自語、念念有詞的招魂者和通靈者吧」，但百姓難道不應當求問自己的神嗎？難道應當為活人求問死人嗎？

或謂爾曰、巫覡術士、其聲綿蠻微細、爾其求之、夫民豈不當求其上帝乎、詎為生者求死者哉、

或曰、維彼巫覡、及為神所憑者、何不問焉、其聲綿蠻、其音微細。則應之曰、人豈不當問於上帝哉、生人之事、詢於死者、亦奚以為。

維彼交鬼者、及巫覡、其聲綿蠻、其言低俏、或告爾曰、可問斯人、則應之日、民豈不當問其天主哉、豈可為生者問於死者乎、

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

And when they say to you,“ Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

Someone may say to you,“ Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead?

When they say to you,“ Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

When they say to you,“ Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should a people not consult their God? Should they consult the dead in behalf of the living?

And when they say to you,“ Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

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?

When they say to you,“ Consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

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?

They will say to you,“ Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?”

When they tell you,“ Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter,” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

“‘ Suppose someone looks for advice from people who get messages from those who have died. Or they go to people who talk to the spirits of the dead. And they do what those people say. Then they have not been faithful to me. So I will turn against them. I will separate them from their people.

The people of Egypt will lose hope. I will keep them from doing what they plan to do. They will ask their gods for advice. They will turn to the spirits of dead people for help. They will go to people who get messages from those who have died. They will ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead.

He sacrificed his children in the fire to other gods. He did it in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced all kinds of evil magic. He took part in worshiping evil powers. He got messages from people who had died. He talked to the spirits of people who have died. He did many things that were evil in the eyes of the Lord. Manasseh made the Lord very angry.

Saul died because he wasn’t faithful to the Lord. He didn’t obey the word of the Lord. He even asked for advice from a person who gets messages from people who have died.

You will be brought down to the grave. You will speak from deep down inside the ground. Your words will be barely heard out of the dust. Your voice will sound like the voice of a ghost coming from under the ground. Your words will sound like a whisper out of the dust.”

Saul put on different clothes so people wouldn’t know who he was. At night he and two of his men went to see the woman.“ I want you to talk to a spirit for me,” he said.“ Bring up the spirit of the dead person I choose.”

They joined in worshiping the Baal that was worshiped at Peor. They ate food that had been offered to gods that aren’t even alive.

“‘ Do not look for advice from people who get messages from those who have died. Do not go to people who talk to the spirits of the dead. If you do, they will make you“ unclean.” I am the Lord your God.

Don’t put a spell on anyone. Don’t get messages from those who have died. Don’t talk to the spirits of the dead. Don’t get advice from the dead.

He sacrificed his own son in the fire to another god. He practiced all kinds of evil magic. He got messages from those who had died. He talked to the spirits of the dead. He did many things that were evil in the eyes of the Lord. Manasseh made the Lord very angry.

And that’s not all. Josiah got rid of those who got messages from people who had died. He got rid of those who talked to the spirits of people who had died. He got rid of the statues of family gods and the statues of other gods. He got rid of everything else the Lord hates that was in Judah and Jerusalem. He did it to carry out what the law required. That law was written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’ s temple.

Samuel said,“ The Lord has left you. He has become your enemy. So why are you asking me what you should do?

But you are the only true God. You are the only living God. You are the King who rules forever. When you are angry, the earth trembles with fear. The nations can’t stand up under your anger.

But the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. The angel said,“ Go up to see the messengers of Ahaziah, the king of Samaria. Tell them,‘ You are on your way to ask Baal- Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Are you going there to pray to that god? Do you think there is no God in Israel?’

The believers themselves report the kind of welcome you gave us. They tell about how you turned away from statues of gods. And you turned to serve the living and true God.

Then the woman asked,“ Whose spirit should I bring up for you?”“ Bring Samuel up,” he said.

But there were also false prophets among the people. In the same way there will be false teachers among you. In secret they will bring in teachings that will destroy you. They will even turn against the Lord and Master who died to pay for their sins. So they will quickly destroy themselves.