Loading…

Deuteronomy 18:9–14

Occult Practices

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitateq the detestable waysr of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,s who practices divinationt or sorcery,u interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,v 11 or casts spells,w or who is a medium or spiritistx or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.y 13 You must be blamelessz before the Lord your God.a

The Prophet

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.b But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.

Read more Explain verse



Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — English Standard Version (ESV)

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 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. 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. 14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — New Living Translation (NLT)

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — New Century Version (NCV)

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, don’t learn to do the hateful things the other nations do. 10 Don’t let anyone among you offer a son or daughter as a sacrifice in the fire. Don’t let anyone use magic or witchcraft, or try to explain the meaning of signs. 11 Don’t let anyone try to control others with magic, and don’t let them be mediums or try to talk with the spirits of dead people. 12 The Lord hates anyone who does these things. Because the other nations do these things, the Lord your God will force them out of the land ahead of you. 13 But you must be innocent in the presence of the Lord your God.

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

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — American Standard Version (ASV)

When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. 14 For these nations, that thou shalt dispossess, hearken unto them that practise augury, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you he that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, that useth divination, that useth auguries, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, or one that inquireth of a spirit of Python, or a soothsayer, or one that consulteth the dead. 12 For every one that doeth these things is an abomination to Jehovah, and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth dispossess them from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. 14 For these nations, which thou shalt dispossess, hearkened unto those that use auguries, and that use divination; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee to do so.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, never learn the disgusting practices of those nations. 10 You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer, 11 cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead. 12 Whoever does these things is disgusting to the Lord. The Lord your God is forcing these nations out of your way because of their disgusting practices. 13 You must have integrity ⸤in dealing⸥ with the Lord your God. 14 These nations you are forcing out listen to fortunetellers and to those who practice black magic. But the Lord your God won’t let you do anything like that. 

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations. 10 No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, 11 cast spells, consult a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquire of the dead. 12 Everyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable things. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you must not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. 10 No one shall be found among you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord; it is because of such abhorrent practices that the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You must remain completely loyal to the Lord your God. 14 Although these nations that you are about to dispossess do give heed to soothsayers and diviners, as for you, the Lord your God does not permit you to do so.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

“When you come to the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must not learn to do like the detestable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or one who practices divination, or an interpreter of signs, or an augur, or sorcerer, 11 or one who casts magic spells, or one who consults a spirit of the dead, or spiritist, or one who inquires of the dead. 12 For everyone doing these things is detestable to Yahweh, and because of these detestable things Yahweh your God is driving them out from before you. 13 You must be blameless before Yahweh your God. 14 For these nations that you are about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you do, don’t copy the practices of the nations that are there. The Lord hates those practices.

10 Here are things you must not do. Don’t sacrifice your children in the fire to other gods. Don’t practice any kind of evil magic at all. Don’t use magic to try to explain the meaning of warnings in the sky or of any other signs. Don’t take part in worshiping evil powers. 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.

12 The Lord your God hates it when anyone does those things. The nations that are in the land he’s giving you practice the things he hates. So he will drive out those nations to make room for you. 13 You must be without blame in the sight of the Lord your God.

14 You will take over the nations that are in the land the Lord is giving you. They listen to those who practice all kinds of evil magic. But you belong to the Lord your God. He says you must not do those things.

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.

10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,

11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

12 “For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.

13 “You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.

14 “For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.


A service of Logos Bible Software