Leviticus 20:6
New International Version
“’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.

New Living Translation
“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.

English Standard Version
“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

King James Bible
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

New King James Version
‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

New American Standard Bible
‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the prostitute with them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

NASB 1995
‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

NASB 1977
‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Amplified Bible
‘As for the person who turns to mediums [who consult the dead] or to spiritists, to play the prostitute after them, I shall set My face against that person and will cut him off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

Christian Standard Bible
“Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.

American Standard Version
And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to play the harlot after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Contemporary English Version
I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people.

English Revised Version
And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I will condemn people who turn to mediums and psychics and chase after them as though they were prostitutes. I will exclude them from the people.

Good News Translation
"If any of you go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead, I will turn against you and will no longer consider you one of my people.

International Standard Version
"I'll oppose and eliminate from contact with his people whoever consults mediums or familiar spirits, thereby committing spiritual prostitution with them.

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

NET Bible
"'The person who turns to the spirits of the dead and familiar spirits to commit prostitution by going after them, I will set my face against that person and cut him off from the midst of his people.

New Heart English Bible
"'The person that turns to spirits of the dead, and to familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go astray after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

World English Bible
“‘The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the person who turns to those having familiar spirits, and to the wizards, to go whoring after them, I have even set My face against that person, and cut him off from the midst of his people.

Young's Literal Translation
'And the person who turneth unto those having familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to go a-whoring after them, I have even set My face against that person, and cut him off from the midst of his people.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the soul which shall turn to necromancers and to wizards, to commit fornication after them, and I gave my face against that soul and I cut him off from the midst of his people.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The soul that shall go aside after magicians, and soothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them, I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The soul who will have turned aside to astrologers and soothsayers, and who will have fornicated with them, I will set my face against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of his people.

New American Bible
Should anyone turn to ghosts and spirits and prostitute oneself with them, I will turn against that person and cut such a one off from among the people.

New Revised Standard Version
If any turn to mediums and wizards, prostituting themselves to them, I will set my face against them, and will cut them off from the people.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the person that goes after diviners and soothsayers to go astray after them, I will pour out my anger against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the soul that will go after necromancers and soothsayers and will go astray after them, I shall put my wrath in that soul and I shall destroy him from within his people.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the soul that turneth unto the ghosts, and unto the familiar spirits, to go astray after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the soul that shall follow those who have in them divining spirits, or enchanters, so as to go a whoring after them; I will set my face against that soul, and will destroy it from among its people.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Punishments for Disobedience
5then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech. 6Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. 7Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. / For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

1 Samuel 28:7-9
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied. / So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.” / But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”

2 Kings 21:6
He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Exodus 22:18
You must not allow a sorceress to live.

Micah 5:12
I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.

Jeremiah 27:9-10
But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers who declare, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ / For they prophesy to you a lie that will serve to remove you from your land; I will banish you and you will perish.

Acts 16:16-18
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. / This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” / She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

Ephesians 5:11
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...

1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,


Treasury of Scripture

And the soul that turns after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

familiar

Leviticus 20:27
A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 19:26,31
Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times…

Deuteronomy 18:10-14
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, …

go

Exodus 34:15,16
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; …

Numbers 15:39
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

Psalm 73:27
For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

cut him

1 Chronicles 10:13,14
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; …

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Leviticus 20
1. Of him who gives his seed to Moloch
4. Of him who favors such an one
6. Of going to wizards
7. Of sanctification
9. Of him who curses his parents
11. Of incest
13. Of sodomy
15. Of bestiality
18. Of uncleanness
22. Obedience is required with holiness
27. Wizards must be put to death














I will set My face against that person
This phrase indicates a direct and personal action from God. The Hebrew word for "set" is "נָתַן" (natan), which means to give, put, or set. In this context, it implies a deliberate turning of God's attention towards the individual in judgment. The "face" of God symbolizes His presence and favor; thus, setting His face against someone signifies divine disapproval and impending judgment. Historically, this reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where obedience brought blessings and disobedience brought curses (Deuteronomy 28).

who turns to mediums and spiritists
The Hebrew words for "mediums" and "spiritists" are "אוֹב" (ov) and "יִדְּעֹנִי" (yiddeoni), respectively. These terms refer to individuals who claim to communicate with the dead or spirits, practices that were common in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The Israelites were explicitly forbidden from engaging in such practices (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) as they were considered abominations and a direct violation of the first commandment, which calls for exclusive worship of Yahweh.

to prostitute himself with them
The use of the word "prostitute" (Hebrew: "זָנָה", zanah) is metaphorical, describing spiritual unfaithfulness. In the Old Testament, idolatry and turning to other gods or forbidden practices are often depicted as spiritual adultery. This language underscores the seriousness of the sin, equating it with the betrayal of a marital covenant, which is a profound violation of trust and loyalty.

I will cut him off from his people
The phrase "cut off" (Hebrew: "כָּרַת", karat) implies a severe consequence, often understood as death or excommunication. This reflects the communal nature of Israelite society, where individual actions could affect the entire community. Being "cut off" meant losing one's place and inheritance among God's people, a fate that was both physically and spiritually devastating. This underscores the holiness required of God's people and the seriousness of maintaining purity in worship and practice.

(6) And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits.--The same punishment will be visited upon the man who consults necromancers. For the nature of this sin, see Leviticus 19:31, and for the execution of this sentence see 1Chronicles 10:13-14. The soothsayers themselves were stoned to death by the community. (See Leviticus 20:27.)

Verse 6. - God will also himself cut off from among his people any that, not content with lawful and godly knowledge, turn after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Whoever
וְהַנֶּ֗פֶשׁ (wə·han·ne·p̄eš)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

turns
תִּפְנֶ֤ה (tip̄·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

mediums
הָֽאֹבֹת֙ (hā·’ō·ḇōṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 178: A bottle (made from animal skin), a necromancer

or spiritists
הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים (hay·yid·də·‘ō·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3049: A knowing one, a conjurer, a ghost

to prostitute
לִזְנ֖וֹת (liz·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2181: To commit adultery, to commit idolatry

himself with them,
אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם (’a·ḥă·rê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

I will also set
וְנָתַתִּ֤י (wə·nā·ṯat·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

My face
פָּנַי֙ (pā·nay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

against that person
בַּנֶּ֣פֶשׁ (ban·ne·p̄eš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

and cut him off
וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י (wə·hiḵ·rat·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

from
מִקֶּ֥רֶב (miq·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

his people.
עַמּֽוֹ׃ (‘am·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT Law: Leviticus 20:6 The person that turns to those who (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 20:5
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