Deuteronomy 18

1 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.

The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire and his portion.

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

They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. The LORD is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them.

3 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.

This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.

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

You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep.

5 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.

For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the LORD’s name, him and his sons forever.

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

If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which the LORD shall choose,

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

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

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

They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions.

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

When you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.

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

There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

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

or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 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.

For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. Because of these abominations, the LORD your God drives them out from before you.

13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

You shall be blameless with the LORD your God.

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

For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so to do.

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

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

16 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!”

This is according to all that you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the LORD my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.”

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

The LORD said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.

18 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.

I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

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

It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 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.”

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

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

You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”

22 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.

When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, if the thing does not follow, nor happen, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.