Do not turn unto mediums, Nor, for oracles, make search, To render yourselves unclean with them, I - Yahweh, am your God.

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.

Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done.

Do not turn unto mediums, Nor, for oracles, make search, To render yourselves unclean with them, I - Yahweh, am your God.

When thou art coming into the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominable doings of those nations. There shall not be found in thy midst - One who causeth his son or his daughter to pass through fire, - Or who useth divination, hidden arts or enchantments Or who muttereth incantations; read more. Or who bindeth with spells, - Or who asketh of a familiar spirit or an oracle, Or who seeketh unto the dead. For, an abomination unto Yahweh, is everyone who doeth these things, - and on account of these abominations, is Yahweh thy God dispossessing them from before thee. Blameless, shalt thou be with, Yahweh thy God; for, these nations whom thou art dispossessing, unto them who use hidden arts and unto diviners, do hearken, but as for thee, not so, doth Yahweh thy God suffer thee.

So they said unto him - Ask of God, we pray thee, - that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success. And the priest said unto them - Go! and prosper, - before Yahweh, is your journey on which ye go.

Now, Samuel, was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city, - Saul, moreover had put away them who had familiar spirits and them who were oracles, out of the land. So then the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came in, and encamped in Shunem, - and Saul gathered together all Israel, and they encamped in Gilboa. read more. And, when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled exceedingly. Then Saul enquired of Yahweh, but Yahweh answered him not, - neither by Dreams, nor by the Lights, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants - Seek me out a woman that owneth a familiar spirit, that I may even go unto her, and enquire of her. And his servants said unto him, Lo! there is a woman that owneth a familiar spirit in En-dor. Saul therefore disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and departed - he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, - and he said - Divine for me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring up for me - whomsoever I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him - Lo! thou, knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off them who have familiar spirits and him who is an oracle, out of the land, - wherefore, then, art thou striking at my life, to put me to death? So then Saul sware unto her by Yahweh, saying, - By the life of Yahweh, there shall no punishment befall thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up for thee? And he said, Samuel, bring thou up for me. And, when the woman saw Samuel, she made outcry with a loud voice, - and the woman spake unto Saul, saying - Wherefore hast thou deceived me, thou thyself being Saul? And the king said unto her - Be not afraid, but what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, A god, saw I, coming up out of the earth. And he said to her - What was his form? And she said - An old man, coming up, he being wrapped about with a robe. Then Saul knew, that it was, Samuel, so he inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himself down. And Samuel said unto Saul, Wherefore hast thou disquieted me, by bringing me up? And Saul said - I am in sore distress, for, the Philistines, are making war against me, and, God, hath turned away from me, and answereth me no more - either by means of the prophets, or by dreams, therefore have I even called for thee, to let me know, what I am to do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, shouldst thou ask me, - when, Yahweh, hath turned away from thee, and hath come to be with thy neighbour? Therefore hath Yahweh done for him, as he spake by me, - yea Yahweh hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to a neighbour of thine - to David. As thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh, neither didst execute the glow of his anger upon Amalek, therefore, this thing, hath Yahweh done unto thee this day; that Yahweh may deliver, Israel also, with thee, into the hand of the Philistines, and, to-morrow, thou and thy sons with thee are about to fall, - the host of Israel also, will Yahweh deliver, into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul hastened, and fell prostrate - the whole length of him - to the earth, and was sore afraid, at the words of Samuel, and indeed, no, strength, was left in him, for he had not eaten food all the day and all the night.

Thou, therefore son of man. Appoint thee two ways For the sword of the king of Babylon to enter, Out of one land shall those two ways come, - And a hand, engrave thou, At the head of the way to the city, engrave it.; A way, shalt thou appoint, for the sword to enter. Even to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, - And to Judah against Jerusalem, the defenced, read more. For the king of Babylon hath come tea stand At the parting of the way. At the head of the two ways To divine a divination:He hath shaken with arrows He hath asked of the household gods, He hath inspected the liver. On his right hand, hath come the divination - Jerusalem! To plant battering-rams. To open a hole by breach To lift up the voice with a war-shout, - To plant battering-rams against the gates, To cast up an earth-work To bud a siege-wall.

For, the household gods, have spoken vanity, and, the diviners, have had vision of falsehood, and, deceitful dreams, do they relate, vainly, do they console, - for this reason, have they moved about like a flock, they suffer ill, because there is no shepherd.

Now, when, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, lo! wise men from eastern parts, came into Jerusalem: saying - Where is he that hath been born king of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to bow down to him. read more. But, when King Herod heard, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and, assembling all the high-priests and scribes of the people, he was enquiring of them - Where is, the Christ, to be born? And, they, said to him, In Bethlehem of Judaea, - for, so, is it written through the prophet: And, thou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means least, art thou, among the governors of Judah, - For, out of thee, shall one come forth to govern, Who shall shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod, privately, calling the wise men, ascertained from them the time of the appearing star; and sending them to Bethlehem, said - Go search out accurately concerning the child, - and, as soon as ye find it, bring report unto me, that, I also, may come and bow myself down to it. Now, they, hearing the king, went, and lo! the star which they had seen in the east, was going before them, until it went and stood over where the child was; and, seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy; and, coming into the house, they saw the child, with Mary its mother, - and, falling down, prostrated themselves unto it, and, opening their treasures, offered unto it gifts - gold and frankincense and myrrh; and, being instructed by dream, not to return unto Herod, by another way, retired they unto their own country.

But, a certain man named Simon, was already in the city, practising magical arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, - saying that himself was someone great: Unto whom all were giving heed, from small even to great, saying - This, is the Power of God, which is called Great. read more. And they were giving heed to him, because that, for a considerable time, with his magical arts, he had astonished them. But, when they believed Philip telling the good news concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they proceeded to be immersed, both men and women. And, Simon himself also, believed; and, having been immersed, was in constant attendance on Philip, - and, beholding signs and great works of power coming to pass, was astonished. And the Apostles who were in Jerusalem, hearing that Samaria had welcomed the word of God, sent out unto them Peter and John; Who, indeed, going down, prayed for them, that they might receive Holy Spirit; - For, not yet, had it, upon any one of them, fallen, but, only, to begin with, they had been immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then, proceeded they to lay their hands upon them, and they were receiving Holy Spirit. But Simon, seeing that, through means of the laying on of the hands of the Apostles, the Spirit was being given, offered unto them money, Saying - Give unto me also this authority, - in order that, on whomsoever may lay my hands, he may receive Holy Spirit. And Peter said unto him - Thy silver, with thee, go to destruction! Because, the free-gift of God, thou didst suppose could, with money, be obtained! Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for, thy heart, is not upright before God. Repent, therefore, from this thy baseness, and entreat of the Lord - whether, after all, the purpose of thy heart shall be forgiven thee; For see that thou servest as a gall-root of bitterness, and a bond of unrighteousness. And Simon, answering, said - Entreat ye, in my behalf, unto the Lord; that, nothing, may come upon me, of the things whereof ye have spoken!

And, passing through the whole island, as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a false-prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus; Who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The same, calling for Barnabas and Saul, sought to hear the word of God. read more. But Elymas the magician, - for so, when translated, is his name, - withstood them; seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with Holy Spirit, looking steadfastly at him, Said - O full of all guile, and all recklessness! Son of an adversary! Enemy of all righteousness! - Wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight ways of the Lord? Now, therefore, lo! the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun, until a fitting time. And, instantly, there fell upon him a mist and darkness; and, going about, he was seeking such as might lead him by the hand. Then, the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Many also of them who had believed, were coming, making open confession, and renouncing their practices. And, a good many of them who had practised the curious arts, bringing together the books, were burning them before all; and they reckoned up the prices of them, and found them fifty thousand pieces of silver.