Deuteronomy 18:10-13
King James Version
10 There shall not be found among you
any one that maketh his son or his daughter
to pass through the fire, or that useth divination,
or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits,
or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Many of us have gone through grief.
Many, through inconsolable grief.
Hoping we could find comfort somewhere.
We also need reassurance our loved ones are okay.
But is there a right way to grieve?
And a wrong way?
There sure is.
There was a time seances were in vogue.
Wherein people sought the help of a medium.
But has it brought the dead back?
Or has it caused more grief?
And frustration?
What is a "consulter with familiar spirits"?
Or a "necromancer"?
Many don't realize those are abominations to GOD.
These Bible versions explain more:
Deuteronomy 18:11
Amplified Bible
11 or one who casts a charm or spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or a necromancer [who seeks the dead].
Deuteronomy 18:11
Christian Standard Bible
11 cast spells, consult a medium or a spiritist, or inquire of the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
Common English Bible
11 or spell caster; who converses with ghosts or spirits or communicates with the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
11 Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
Easy-to-Read Version
11 Don’t let anyone try to put magic spells on other people. Don’t let any of your people become a medium or a wizard. And no one should try to talk with someone who has died.
Deuteronomy 18:11
Expanded Bible
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].
Deuteronomy 18:11
GOD’S WORD Translation
11 cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11
The Message
10-11 Don’t practice divination, sorcery, fortunetelling, witchery, casting spells, holding séances, or channeling with the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
Modern English Version
11 or one who casts spells, or a spiritualist, or an occultist, or a necromancer.
Deuteronomy 18:11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
11 or who casts spells, consults ghosts and spirits, or seeks oracles from the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
New English Translation
11 one who casts spells,[a] one who conjures up spirits,[b] a practitioner of the occult,[c] or a necromancer.[d]
Deuteronomy 18:11
New International Reader's Version
11 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.
Deuteronomy 18:11
New Life Version
11 or uses secret power on people, or helps people talk to spirits, or talks to spirits himself, or talks with the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
New Living Translation
11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
11 or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead.
Devarim 18:11
Orthodox Jewish Bible
11 Or one who casts spells, or one who inquires of a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a doresh el hamesim (a consulter of the dead ones, i.e., a necromancer).
Deuteronomy 18:11
The Voice
11 casting spells, or trying to contact ghosts, spirits, or the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:11
Wycliffe Bible
11 neither any enchanter or tregetour, (that is, he who deceiveth men’s eyes so that a thing seem that which it is not); neither a man take counsel of them that have a fiend speaking within them, neither of false diviners, neither seek of dead men the truth (nor let anyone take counsel from them who have a fiend speaking within them, or from false diviners, nor seek they to learn the truth from the dead).
In SUMMARY, a "consulter with familiar spirits" is defined as one who:
is a medium
converses with ghosts or spirits
consults pythonic spirits
consults/inquires of ghosts or spirits]
asks ghosts or spirits for help
holds séances
is a spiritualist
consults ghosts and spirits
conjures up spirits
gets messages from those who have died; talks to the spirits of the dead
helps people talk to spirits
consults ghosts or spirits
inquires of a ghost or a familiar spirit
tries to contact ghosts, spirits, or the dead
takes counsel of them that have a fiend speaking within them
In SUMMARY, a "necromancer" is one who:
seeks the dead
inquires of the dead
communicates with the dead
seeks the truth from the dead
tries to talk with someone who has died
talks with the spirits of [consults] dead people
consults the dead
channels the dead
seeks oracles from the dead
gets advice from the dead
talks with the dead
calls forth the spirits of the dead
is a doresh el hamesim (a consulter of the dead ones, i.e., a necromancer)
tries to contact ghosts, spirits, or the dead
Why are we not to do these things?
The Bible tells us why:
Deuteronomy 18:12-13
King James Version
12 For all that do these things
are an abomination unto the Lord:
and because of these abominations the Lord thy God
doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
Further, why should we communicate with the dead?
Don't we realize these could invite evil spirits?
Look to this man, who sought healing from JESUS:
Mark 5:2-3
King James Version
2 And when he was come out of the ship,
immediately there met him out of the tombs
a man with an unclean spirit,
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs;
and no man could bind him,
no, not with chains:
(The complete story can be found here.)
GOD is the "living God".
JESUS gives us eternal life.
What have we got to do communicating with the dead?
Time to wake up, and acknowledge Scripture.
Do so now.
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