the supernatural

¹⁸You shall not permit practitioners of the black arts to live.

¹⁷And so, this became known to all the Jews and Gentiles who were living at Ephesus. And a fear fell over them all. And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸And many believers were arriving, confessing, and announcing their deeds. ¹⁹Then many of those who had followed odd sects brought together their books, and they burned them in the sight of all. And after determining the value of these, they found the price to be fifty thousand denarii.

²⁰the serving of idols, drug use, hostility, contentiousness, jealousy, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, divisions,

⁹Therefore, there was great gladness in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, claiming himself to be someone great. ¹⁰And to all those who would listen, from the least even to the greatest, he was saying: “Here is the power of God, which is called great.” ¹¹And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic. ¹²Yet truly, once they had believed Philip, who was evangelizing the kingdom of God, both men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. ¹³Then Simon himself also believed and, when he had been baptized, he adhered to Philip. And now, seeing also the greatest signs and miracles being wrought, he was amazed and stupefied.

²Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his recompenses. ³He forgives all your iniquities. He heals all your infirmities. ⁴He redeems your life from destruction. He crowns you with mercy and compassion.

¹And again, he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered to him, so much so that, climbing into a boat, he was seated on the sea. And the entire crowd was on the land along the sea. ²And he taught them many things in parables, and he said to them, in his doctrine: ³“Listen. Behold, the sower went out to sow. ⁴And while he was sowing, some fell along the way, and the birds of the air came and ate it. ⁵Yet truly, others fell upon stony ground, where it did not have much soil. And it rose up quickly, because it had no depth of soil. ⁶And when the sun was risen, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away.

³And the spirit of Egypt will be ruptured to its very core. And I will cast down their plan violently. And they will seek answers from their false images, and their diviners, and those led by demons, and their seers.

¹⁸and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew together little pillows under every forearm, and who make little cushions for the heads of every stage of life, in order to capture souls. And when they have seized the souls of my people, they became the life of their souls.

¹⁹This we have as an anchor of the soul, safe and sound, which advances even to the interior of the veil,

⁶And he caused his sons to pass through fire in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. He observed dreams, followed divinations, served the occult arts, had with him magicians and enchanters, and worked many evils before the Lord, so that he provoked him.

³¹Do not turn aside to astrologers, nor consult with soothsayers, so as to be polluted through them. I am the Lord your God.

¹⁴Are they not all spirits of ministration, sent to minister for the sake of those who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?

¹⁴These nations, whose land you shall possess, they listen to soothsayers and diviners. But you have been otherwise instructed by the Lord your God.

⁶And he led his son through fire. And he used divinations, and observed omens, and appointed soothsayers, and multiplied diviners, so that he did evil before the Lord, and provoked him.