Deuteronomy 18
1 The priests, the Levites, [and] the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: Jehovah's offerings by fire, and his inheritance shall they eat,
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 but they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah, he is their inheritance, as he hath said 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 priest's due from the people, from them that sacrifice a sacrifice, whether ox, or sheep: they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the jawbones, 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 firstfruits [also] of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstfruits of the shearing 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, that he may stand to serve in the name of Jehovah, he and his sons continually.
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 the Levite shall come from one of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and shall come according to all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah will 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 and shall serve in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites that 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 he hath sold 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 according to 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 among you he that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, that useth divination, that useth auguries, 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 one that inquireth of a spirit of Python, or a soothsayer, or one that consulteth the dead.
casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.
12 For every one that doeth these things is an abomination to Jehovah, and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth dispossess them 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, which thou shalt dispossess, hearkened unto those that use auguries, and that use divination; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee [to do] so.
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 shall ye 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 at Horeb on 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 spoken that which they have spoken.
Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.
18 A prophet will I raise up unto them from among their brethren, like unto thee, and 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 the man who hearkeneth not 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 who shall presume to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that 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 that 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, and the thing followeth not, nor cometh to pass, that is the word which Jehovah hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: be not 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.
