²⁶ “You are not to eat anything with blood in it.^[a](A) You are not to practice divination^(B) or witchcraft.^(C)

³¹ “Do not turn to mediums^[a](A) or consult spiritists,^[b](B) or you will be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God.

⁶ “Whoever turns to mediums^[a](A) or spiritists^[b] and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.

²⁷ “A man or a woman who is^[a] a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their death is their own fault.”

⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination^(A) in hand.^(B) They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him.

³ By this time Samuel had died,^(A) all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city,^(B) and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.^(C)

Further Zeal for the Lord

²⁴ In addition, Josiah eradicated the mediums, the spiritists,^(A) household idols,^(B) images, and all the abhorrent things^(C) that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that the priest Hilkiah found in the Lord’s temple.^(D)

⁶ He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley.^(A) He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(B) He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him.