Lord, you have deserted the people of Jacob. They are your people. The land is full of false beliefs from the east. The people practice evil magic, just as the Philistines do. They do what ungodly people do.

耶和华，你离弃了你百姓雅各家，是因他们充满了东方的风俗，作观兆的，像非利士人一样，并与外邦人击掌。

你离弃了你的百姓雅各家，因为他们充满了东方的习俗，又像非利士人一样观星象，并与外邦人击掌。

你离弃了你的百姓雅各家，因为他们充满了东方的习俗，又像非利士人一样观星象，并与外邦人击掌。

耶和华啊，你离弃了你的子民——雅各的后裔，因为他们当中充满了东方的恶俗，像非利士人一样占卜，跟外族人同流合污。

耶和华啊！你离弃了你的子民雅各家，是因为他们充满了东方的迷信，和占卜的人，像非利士人一样，并且与外族人击掌交易。

耶和华啊，你撇弃了你的子民雅各家，因为他们中充斥着来自东方的恶俗，以及非利士人那样的占兆者；他们还与外邦人击掌订交。

耶和華，你離棄了你百姓雅各家，是因他們充滿了東方的風俗，作觀兆的，像非利士人一樣，並與外邦人擊掌。

你離棄了你的百姓雅各家，因為他們充滿了東方的習俗，又像非利士人一樣觀星象，並與外邦人擊掌。

你離棄了你的百姓雅各家，因為他們充滿了東方的習俗，又像非利士人一樣觀星象，並與外邦人擊掌。

耶和華啊，你離棄了你的子民——雅各的後裔，因為他們當中充滿了東方的惡俗，像非利士人一樣占卜，跟外族人同流合污。

耶和華啊！你離棄了你的子民雅各家，是因為他們充滿了東方的迷信，和占卜的人，像非利士人一樣，並且與外族人擊掌交易。

因為他擯棄了他的人民，是因為他們充滿了占筮和算命、像非利士人一樣，並且跟外族人拍掌交易。

耶和華啊，你撇棄了你的子民雅各家，因為他們中充斥著來自東方的惡俗，又像非利士人那樣充斥著算命者；他們還與外族人擊掌訂交。

蓋爾民雅各家、充乎東方之俗、效非利士人為巫覡、且與異邦結盟、故爾棄之、

維昔雅各家、與異邦修睦、惟尚術數、較諸非利士人、東方之民、初無或異、故上帝棄之。

主棄主之民雅各家、因東方人之惡俗、充滿其中、尚術數如非利士人、與異邦之人結盟、結盟原文作擊掌

You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

For the Lord has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans.

For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.

For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines. They also strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.

For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.

Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and[ are] soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

Indeed, O LORD, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. For diviners from the east are everywhere; they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. Plenty of foreigners are around.

For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.

That’s true. But they were broken off because they didn’t believe. You stand only because you do believe. So don’t be proud, but tremble.

Ahaziah had fallen through the window of his upstairs room in Samaria. He had hurt himself. So he sent messengers to ask the god named Baal- Zebub for advice. Baal- Zebub was the god of the city of Ekron. Ahaziah said to the messengers,“ Go and ask Baal- Zebub whether I will get well again.”

So here is what I ask. Did God turn his back on his people? Not at all! I myself belong to Israel. I am one of Abraham’s children. I am from the tribe of Benjamin.God didn’t turn his back on his people. After all, he chose them. Don’t you know what Scripture says about Elijah? He complained to God about Israel.

In those days I also saw that some men of Judah had married women from Ashdod. Others had married women from Ammon or Moab.

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,“ You are going to join the members of your family who have already died. The Israelites will not be faithful to me. They will soon join themselves to the false gods that are worshiped in the land they are entering. The people will desert me. They will break the covenant I made with them.In that day I will become angry with them. I will desert them. I will turn my face away from them. And they will be destroyed. Many horrible troubles and hard times will come on them. On that day they will say,‘ Trouble has come on us. Our God isn’t with us!’

“‘ 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.

“‘ 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.

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?

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.

“ Do not let a woman who does evil magic stay alive. Put her to death.

You will choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons. And those daughters will commit sin by worshiping their gods. Then they will lead your sons to do the same thing.

Azariah went out to meet Asa. He said to him,“ Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you really look for him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will desert you.

He says,“ Do not follow the practices of other nations. Do not be terrified by warnings in the sky. Do not be afraid, even though the nations are terrified by them.

Israel was staying in Shittim. The men of Israel began to commit sexual sins with the women of Moab.The women invited the men to feasts and sacrifices to honor their gods. The people ate the sacrifices and bowed down in front of the statues of those gods.

King Solomon loved many women besides Pharaoh’s daughter. They were from other lands. They were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.The Lord had warned Israel about women from other nations. He had said,“ You must not marry them. If you do, you can be sure they will turn your hearts toward their gods.” But Solomon continued to love them anyway. He wouldn’t give them up.

“ So keep on casting your magic spells. Keep on practicing your evil magic. You have been doing those things ever since you were a child. Perhaps they will help you. Maybe they will scare your enemies away.All the advice you have received has only worn you out! Let those who study the heavens come forward. They claim to know what is going to happen by watching the stars every month. So let them save you from the trouble that is coming on you.

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

Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,“ Balak brought me from the land of Aram. The king of Moab sent for me from the mountains in the east.‘ Come,’ he said.‘ Put a curse on Jacob’s people for me. Come. Speak against Israel.’

Instead, they mixed with those nations and adopted their ways.

Why do you always forget us? Why have you deserted us for so long?

My son, don’t promise to pay for what your neighbor owes. Don’t agree to pay a stranger’s bill.

Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the priest. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zechariah stood in front of the people. He told them,“ God says,‘ Why do you refuse to obey my commands? You will not have success. You have deserted me. So I have deserted you.’ ”

Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath- Pileser. He was king of Assyria. The message of Ahaz said,“ I am your servant. You are my master. Come up and save me from the power of the kings of Aram and Israel. They are attacking me.”Ahaz took the silver and gold that were in the Lord’ s temple. He also took the silver and gold that were among the treasures in the royal palace. He sent all of it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

Then you notice a beautiful woman among them. If you like her, you may marry her.Bring her home. Have her shave her head and cut her nails.Have her throw away the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. Let her live in your house and mourn the loss of her parents for a full month. Then you can go to her and be her husband. And she will be your wife.