³¹ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.^(A) They even burn their sons^(B) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.^(C)

¹⁸ “Do not allow a sorceress^(A) to live.

²¹ “‘Do not give any of your children^(A) to be sacrificed to Molek,^(B) for you must not profane the name of your God.^(C) I am the Lord.^(D)

³¹ “‘Do not turn to mediums^(A) or seek out spiritists,^(B) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

⁶ “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.^(A)

²⁷ “‘A man or woman who is a medium^(A) or spiritist among you must be put to death.^(B) You are to stone them;^(C) their blood will be on their own heads.’”

⁷ Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,^(A) so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,^(B)” they said.

⁸ So Saul disguised^(C) himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult^(D) a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

⁹ But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off^(E) the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap^(F) for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰ Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

¹¹ Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me?^(G) You are Saul!”

¹³ The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure^[a] coming up out of the earth.”^(H)

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe^(I) is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed^(J) from me. He no longer answers^(K) me, either by prophets or by dreams.^(L) So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn^(M) the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸ Because you did not obey^(N) the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath^(O) against the Amalekites,^(P) the Lord has done this to you today. ¹⁹ The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons^(Q) will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

¹⁷ They sacrificed^(A) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(B) and sold^(C) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

⁶ He sacrificed his own son^(A) in the fire, practiced divination,^(B) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(C) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing^(D) his anger.