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.
Abapristi, amaLevi, isizwe sonke sakoLevi, kasiyikuba lesabelo lelifa kanye loIsrayeli; bazakudla iminikelo yeNkosi eyenziwe ngomlilo, lelifa layo.
2 Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.
Ngakho kabayikuba lelifa phakathi kwabafowabo; iNkosi iyilifa labo, njengokukhuluma kwayo kibo.
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.
Lalokhu kuzakuba lilungelo labapristi elivela ebantwini, kulabo abahlaba umhlatshelo, loba inkabi loba imvu; njalo bazanika umpristi umkhono lemihlathi yomibili lolusu.
4 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.
Okokuqala kwamabele akho, yewayini lakho elitsha, leyamafutha akho, lengqabutho yoboya bezimvu zakho, uzamupha yona.
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.
Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho imkhethile kuzo zonke izizwe zakho, ukuthi eme akhonze ebizweni leNkosi, yena lamadodana akhe, zonke izinsuku.
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,
Uba-ke umLevi esiza evela loba kukuliphi lamasango akho kuIsrayeli wonke lapho ahlala khona njengowezizwe, eze ngesifiso sonke somphefumulo wakhe endaweni iNkosi ezayikhetha,
7 then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD.
khona ezakhonza ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe njengabo bonke abafowabo amaLevi, emiyo khona phambi kweNkosi.
8 They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.
Azakudla izabelo ezilinganayo, ngaphandle kwezinto zakhe ezathengiswayo zaboyise.
9 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
Lapho usufikile elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona, ungafundi ukwenza ngokwezinengiso zalezozizwe.
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,
Kakuyikutholakala phakathi kwakho owenza indodana yakhe lendodakazi yakhe idabule emlilweni, owenza ukuvumisa, ochasisa ngemibono, lowenza imilingo, lomthakathi,
11 casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.
lophosayo, lolamadlozi, lolumbayo, lobuza kwabafileyo.
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.
Ngoba wonke owenza lezizinto uyisinengiso eNkosini. Langenxa yalezizinengiso iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iyabaxotsha elifeni phambi kwakho.
13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.
Uzakuba ngopheleleyo eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.
14 Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
Ngoba izizwe lezi, ozakudla ilifa lazo, zalalela abachasisa ngemibono labavumisi; kodwa wena, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikuvumelanga okunjalo.
15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.
INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakuvusela uMprofethi ophuma phakathi kwakho kubafowenu onjengami; yena limlalele.
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!”
Njengakho konke owakucelayo eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho eHorebe ngosuku lokuhlangana, usithi: Kangingaphindi ngilizwe ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wami, ngingabe ngisawubona lumlilo omkhulu, ukuze ngingafi.
17 Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Benze kuhle kwabakukhulumileyo.
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.
Ngizabavusela uMprofethi ophuma phakathi kwabafowabo onjengawe; ngizabeka amazwi ami emlonyeni wakhe, njalo akhulume kibo konke engizamlaya khona.
19 And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.
Kuzakuthi-ke loba ngubani ongayikulalela amazwi ami azawakhuluma ebizweni lami, ngizakubuza kuye.
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.”
Kodwa umprofethi oziqhenya ekhuluma ilizwi ebizweni lami engingamlayanga ukulikhuluma, loba ekhuluma ebizweni labanye onkulunkulu, lowomprofethi uzakufa.
21 You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?”
Njalo uba usithi enhliziyweni yakho: Sizakwazi njani ilizwi iNkosi engalikhulumanga?
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.
Lapho umprofethi ekhuluma ebizweni leNkosi, uba leyonto ingenzeki kumbe ingafiki, lelo yilizwi iNkosi engalikhulumanga; umprofethi ulikhulume ngokuziqhenya; ungamesabi.
