SICHA Witchcraft 1: Witches in Tanach/Divination

(17) A witch: do not let her live.

(10) So Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh and did just as the Divinehad commanded: Aaron cast down his rod in the presence of Pharaoh and his courtiers, and it turned into a serpent. (11) Then Pharaoh, for his part, summoned the sages and the sorcerers; and the Egyptian magician-priests, in turn, did the same with their spells: (12) each cast down his rod, and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed their rods.

(21) Moses spoke thus to the Israelites. Their chieftains gave him a staff for each chieftain of an ancestral house, twelve staffs in all; among these staffs was that of Aaron. (22) Moses deposited the staffs before the Divine, in the Tent of Testimony. (23) The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Pact, and there the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had sprouted: it had brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms, and borne almonds.

(11) And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.

(12) On that occasion, when the Divine routed the Amorites before the Israelites, Joshua addressed the Divine; he said in the presence of the Israelites: “Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!” (13) And the sun stood still and the moon halted, while a nation wreaked judgment on its foes—as is written in the Book of Jashar. Thus the sun halted in midheaven, and did not press on to set, for a whole day;

(9) Sheol below was astirTo greet your coming—Rousing for you the shadesOf all earth’s chieftains,Raising from their thronesAll the kings of nations. (10) All speak up and say to you,“So you have been stricken as we were,You have become like us!

(3) Now Samuel (the prophet) had died and all Israel made lament for him; and he was buried in his own town of Ramah. And Saul (the king) had forbidden (connecting with) ghosts and familiar spirits in the land.
(4) The Philistines (at war with Israel) gathered and they marched to Shunem and encamped; and Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.
(5) When Saul saw the Philistine force, his heart trembled with fear.
(6) And Saul inquired of the Divine, but the Divine did not answer him, either by dreams or by urim (magical divination stones of the Jewish priests) or by prophets.
(7) Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a 'baalat ov'/female spirit master, so that I can go to her and inquire through her.” And his servants told him that there was a woman in En-dor/'Well of Generations' who was a spirit master.
(8) Saul disguised himself; he put on different clothes and set out with two men. They came to the woman by night, and he said, “Please bring up for me a spirit. Bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”
(9) But the woman answered him, “You know what Saul has done, how he has banned (connecting with) ancestral spirits and familiar spirits in the land. So why are you laying a trap for me, to get me killed?”
(10) Saul swore to her by the Divine: “As the Divine lives, you won’t get into trouble over this.”
(11) At that, the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He answered, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
[There is a weird jump in the plot. No details are given, but it is implied that the spirit master does something to bring up Samuel, and something about Samuel's appearance make it clear that the spirit master's customer is the king.]
(12) Then the woman recognized Samuel, and she shrieked loudly, and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” (13) The king answered her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up from the earth.”
(14) “What does he look like?” he asked her. “It is an old man coming up,” she said, “and he is wrapped in a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel; and he bowed low in homage with his face to the ground.
(15) Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me and brought me up?” And Saul answered, “I am in great trouble. The Philistines are attacking me and God has turned away from me; He no longer answers me, either by prophets or in dreams. So I have called you to tell me what I am to do.” (16) Samuel said, “Why do you ask me, seeing that the Divine has turned away from you and has become your adversary?
(17) The Divine has done to you as foretold through me: the Divine has torn the kingship out of your hands and has given it to your fellow, to David,
(18) because you did not obey the Divine and did not execute Their wrath upon the Amalekites. That is why the Divine has done this to you today.
(19) Further, the Divine will deliver the Israelites who are with you into the hands of the Philistines. Tomorrow your sons and you will be with me; and the Divine will also deliver the Israelite forces into the hands of the Philistines.”
(20) At once Saul flung himself prone on the ground, terrified by Samuel’s words. Besides, there was no strength in him, for he had not eaten anything all day and all night.
(21) The woman went up to Saul and, seeing how greatly disturbed he was, she said to him, “Your handmaid listened to you; I took my life in my hands and heeded the request you made of me.
(22) So now you listen to me: Let me set before you a bit of food. Eat, and then you will have the strength to go on your way.” (23) He refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But when his courtiers as well as the woman urged him, he listened to them; he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
(24) The woman had a stall-fed calf in the house; she hastily sacrificed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and baked some unleavened cakes/matzot.
(25) She set this before Saul and his courtiers, and they ate. Then they rose and left the same night.

(24) Josiah also did away with the ghosts and the mediums, the teraphim/oracle idols and the fetishes—all the detestable things that were to be seen in the land of Judah and Jerusalem. Thus he fulfilled the terms of the Teaching recorded in the scroll that the priest Hilkiah had found in the House of the Divine.

(22) But the children struggled in [Rebecca's] womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of the Divine, (23) and the Divine answered her, “Two nations are in your womb, Two separate peoples shall issue from your body; One people shall be mightier than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”

(14) When Judah and his brothers reentered the house of Joseph, who was still there, they threw themselves on the ground before him. (15) Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices divination?”

(30) Inside the breastpiece of decision you shall place the Urim and Tumim, so that they are over Aaron’s heart when he comes before the Divine. Thus Aaron shall carry the instrument of decision for the Israelites over his heart before the Divine at all times.

(21) But [Joshua] shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the Divine. By such instruction they shall go out and by such instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelite [militia], and the whole community.”

(7) David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring the ephod up to me.” When Abiathar brought up the ephod to David, (8) David inquired of the Divine, “Shall I pursue those raiders? Will I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall overtake and you shall rescue.”

(11) But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Divine here, through whom we may inquire of the Divine ?” One of the courtiers of the king of Israel spoke up and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands Elijah, is here.” (12) “The word of the Divine is with him,” said Jehoshaphat. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. (13) Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have you to do with me? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets.” But the king of Israel said, “Don’t [say that], for the Divine has brought these three kings together only to deliver them into the hands of Moab.” (14) “As the Divine of Hosts lives, whom I serve,” Elisha answered, “were it not that I respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I wouldn’t look at you or notice you. (15) Now then, get me a musician.” As the musician played, the Divine's hand came upon him, (16) and he said, “Thus said the Divine: This wadi shall be full of pools. (17) For thus said the Divine: You shall see no wind, you shall see no rain, and yet the wadi shall be filled with water; and you and your cattle and your pack animals shall drink. (18) And this is but a slight thing in the Divine sight, for Moab will also be delivered into your hands....