^8:19³⁵ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations.³⁶ Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?”³⁷^8:20Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen.³⁸ Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.³⁹^8:21They will pass through the land⁴⁰ destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry,⁴¹ and they will curse their king and their God⁴² as they look upward. ^8:22When one looks out over the land, he sees⁴³ distress and darkness, gloom⁴⁴ and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land.⁴⁵

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Footnotes

35 It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19–22. If the latter, then vv. 19–22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12–15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16–18.
36 Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’ÔB̲,” 86 (1967): 385–401.
37 Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.
38 Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19–20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you …, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. .
39 Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (), , n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
40 Heb “he will pass through it.” The subject of the collective singular verb is the nation. (See the preceding note.) The immediately preceding context supplies no antecedent for “it” (a third feminine singular suffix in the Hebrew text); the suffix may refer to the land, which would be a reasonable referent with a verb of motion. Note also that אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) does appear at the beginning of the next verse.
41 The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
42 Or “gods” (, , ).
43 Heb “and behold” (so , , ).
44 The precise meaning of מְעוּף (mé’uf) is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See 734 מָעוּף.
45 Heb “and darkness, pushed.” The word מְנֻדָּח (ménudakh) appears to be a Pual participle from נדח (“push”), but the Piel is unattested for this verb and the Pual occurs only here.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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? Go to God’s instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.

They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.

NLTNew Living Translation

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?

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now if they tell you, “Consult the ghosts and the spirits, those who chirp and those who mutter. Should not a people consult its gods, the dead on behalf of the living, for teaching and for testimony?” surely they who speak like this have no dawn.

And it will pass through it distressed and hungry, and this shall happen: when it is hungry, it will be enraged, and it will curse its king and its gods, and it will face upward or look to the earth. But look! Distress and darkness, the gloom of affliction! And it will be thrust into darkness!

KJV 1900King James Version

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?

To the law and to the testimony:

If they speak not according to this word,

It is because there is no light in them.

And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry:

And it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves,

And curse their king and their God, and look upward.

And they shall look unto the earth;

And behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish;

And they shall be driven to darkness.

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