People cast lots to learn God's will, but God himself determines the answer.

The LORD controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream.

So he took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor overlooking the desert.

Don't sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars; and don't let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells

Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king."

The king speaks with divine authority; his decisions are always right.

One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a young servant woman who had an evil spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.

Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and during his absence Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father.

I know that you left because you were so anxious to get back home, but why did you steal my household gods?"

This man Micah had his own place of worship. He made some idols and an ephod, and appointed one of his sons as his priest.

Then the five men who had gone to spy on the country around Laish said to their companions, "Did you know that here in one of these houses there is a wooden idol covered with silver? There are also other idols and an ephod. What do you think we should do?"

When the men went into Micah's house and took the sacred objects, the priest asked them, "What are you doing?"

This made the priest very happy, so he took the sacred objects and went along with them.

Micah answered, "What do you mean, 'What's the matter?' You take my priest and the gods that I made, and walk off ! What have I got left?"

In order to enforce the laws written in the book that the High Priest Hilkiah had found in the Temple, King Josiah removed from Jerusalem and the rest of Judah all the mediums and fortunetellers, and all the household gods, idols, and all other pagan objects of worship.

In just this way the people of Israel will have to live for a long time without kings or leaders, without sacrifices or sacred stone pillars, without idols or images to use for divination.

They ask for revelations from a piece of wood! A stick tells them what they want to know! They have left me. Like a woman who becomes a prostitute, they have given themselves to other gods.

People consult idols and fortunetellers, but the answers they get are lies and nonsense. Some interpret dreams, but only mislead you; the comfort they give is useless. So the people wander about like lost sheep. They are in trouble because they have no leader.