< Deuteronomy 18 >

1 The priests and Levites, and all that are of the same tribe, shall have no part nor inheritance with the rest of Israel, because they shall eat the sacrifices of the Lord, and his oblations,
The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of YHWH made by fire, and his inheritance.
2 And they shall receive nothing else. of the possession of their brethren: for the Lord himself is their inheritance, as he hath said to them.
Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: YHWH is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
3 This shall be the priest’s due from the people, and from them that offer victims: whether they sacrifice an ox, or a sheep, they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the breast:
And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
4 The firstfruits also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and a part of the wool from the shearing of their sheep.
The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
5 For the Lord thy God hath chosen him of all thy tribes, to stand and to minister to the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.
For YHWH thy Elohim hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of YHWH, him and his sons for ever.
6 If a Levite go out of any one of the cities throughout all Israel, in which he dwelleth, and have a longing mind to come to the place which the Lord shall choose,
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which YHWH shall choose;
7 He shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, that shall stand at that time before the Lord.
Then he shall minister in the name of YHWH his Elohim, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before YHWH.
8 He shall receive the same portion of food that the rest do: besides that which is due to him in his own city, by succession from his fathers.
They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.
9 When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee, beware lest thou have a mind to imitate the abominations of those nations.
When thou art come into the land which YHWH thy Elohim giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard,
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto YHWH: and because of these abominations YHWH thy Elohim doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect, and without spot before the Lord thy God.
Thou shalt be perfect with YHWH thy Elohim.
14 These nations, whose land thou shalt possess, hearken to soothsayers and diviners: but thou art otherwise instructed by the Lord thy God.
For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, YHWH thy Elohim hath not suffered thee so to do.
15 The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a PROPHET of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear:
YHWH thy Elohim will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 As thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the assembly was gathered together, and saidst: Let me not hear any more the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see any more this exceeding great fire, lest I die.
According to all that thou desiredst of YHWH thy Elohim in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of YHWH my Elohim, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And the Lord said to me: They have spoken all things well.
And YHWH said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a prophet out of the midst of their brethren like to thee: and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.
I will raise them up a Prophet 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.
19 And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my name, I will be the revenger.
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.
20 But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain.
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other elohim, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if in silent thought thou answer: How shall I know the word that the Lord hath not spoken?
And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which YHWH hath not spoken?
22 Thou shalt have this sign: Whatsoever that same prophet foretelleth in the name of the Lord, and it cometh not to pass: that thing the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath forged it by the pride of his mind: and therefore thou shalt not fear him.
When a prophet speaketh in the name of YHWH, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which YHWH hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

< Deuteronomy 18 >