Deuteronomy 18

1 The priests the Levites, [even] all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and his inheritance.

The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the offerings made by fire to the LORD; that is their inheritance.

2 And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah is their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them.

Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.

3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.

4 The first-fruits of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.

5 For Jehovah thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Jehovah, him and his sons for ever.

For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.

6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah shall choose;

Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,

7 then he shall minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before Jehovah.

then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD.

8 They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.

9 When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

10 There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,

11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.

12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

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.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.

You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

14 For these nations, that thou shalt dispossess, hearken unto them that practise augury, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.

16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”

17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken.

Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.

18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.

20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.

But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken?

You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?”

22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.