Deuteronomy 18

1 The priests, the Levites, even the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; the burnt offerings of the Lord [are] their inheritance, they shall eat them.

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 And they shall have no inheritance amongst their brethren; the Lord himself [is] his portion, as he said to him.

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

3 And this [is] the due of the priests in the things coming from the people from those who offer sacrifices, whether it be a calf or a sheep; and you shall give the shoulder to the priest, and the cheeks, and the great intestine:

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 and the first fruits of your corn, and of your wine, and of your oil; and you shall give to him the first fruits of the fleeces of your sheep:

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 because the Lord has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand before the Lord your God, to minister and bless in his name, himself and his sons amongst the children of Israel.

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 And if a Levite come from one of the cities of all the children of Israel, where he himself dwells, accordingly as his mind desires, to the place which he shall have chosen,

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 he shall minister to the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites, who stand there present before the Lord your God.

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 He shall eat an allotted portion, besides the sale of his hereditary property.

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

9 And when you shall have entered into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.

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 There shall not be found in you one who purges his son or his daughter with fire, one who uses divination, who deals with omens, and augury,

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 a sorcerer employing incantation, one who has in him a divining spirit, and observer of signs, questioning the dead.

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

12 For every one that does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God; for because of these abominations the Lord will destroy them from before your face.

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 shall be perfect before the Lord your God.

You shall be blameless with the LORD your God.

14 For all these nations whose [land] you shall inherit, they will listen to omens and divinations; but the Lord your God has not permitted you so [to do].

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

15 The Lord your God shall raise up to you a prophet of your brethren, like me; him shall you hear:

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

16 according to all things which you did desire of the Lord your God in Choreb in the day of the assembly, saying, We will not again hear the voice of the Lord your God, and we will not any more see this great fire, and [so] we shall 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 And the Lord said to me, They have spoken rightly all that they have said to you.

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

18 I will raise up to them a prophet of their brethren, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as I shall command him.

I will raise them up a prophet from amongst 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 whatever man shall not listen to whatever words that prophet shall speak in my name, I will take vengeance on him.

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 the prophet whoever shall impiously speak in my name a word which I have not commanded him to speak, and whoever shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.

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 But if you shall say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?

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

22 Whatsoever words that prophet shall speak in the name of the Lord, and they shall not come true, and not come to pass, this [is] the thing which the Lord has not spoken; that prophet has spoken wickedly: you shall not spare him.

When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, if the thing doesn’t 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.