Soothsayers and Omens

Soothsayers had idols, foretold the future using clouds, actions of animals and other such things of nature, performed these things specifically for the purpose of monetary gain. The Bible tells us of several of these people. One of the more well known ones is of Balaam and the talking donkey that saved his life by preventing him from placing a curse on the people of Israel.

In Isa. 2:6 and Micah 5:12 (Hebrew: yonenim, i.e., "diviners of the clouds") the word is used of the Chaldean diviners who studied the clouds.

Isa 2:6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

Mic 5:12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

We still have many people today that attempt to lead people astray from the word of God with these same things. They call them "old wives tales", omens, or a number of other such names that try to hide the true intent. We see such things as "wooly worms predicting the weather", "seeing a hawk killing a small bird supposedly means you'll have success", "the small bird chasing the hawk off supposedly means failure" and "a bird entering your home supposedly means death of someone in the home". All these are things that come from soothsaying and are taught against in the Bible.

Deu 18:10 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,
Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Deu 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.