Deuteronomy 18

1 “There is not for the priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—a portion and inheritance with Israel; they eat fire-offerings of YHWH, even His inheritance,

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 and he has no inheritance in the midst of his brothers; YHWH Himself [is] his inheritance, as He has spoken to him.

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

3 And this is the priest’s right from the people, from those sacrificing a sacrifice, whether ox or sheep, he has even given to the priest the leg, and the two cheeks, and the stomach;

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 you give to him the first of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your flock;

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

5 for your God YHWH has fixed on him, out of all your tribes, to stand to serve in the Name of YHWH—him 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 when the Levite comes from one of your cities, out of all Israel where he has sojourned, and has come with all the desire of his soul to the place which YHWH chooses,

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 then he has ministered in the Name of his God YHWH like all his brothers, the Levites, who are standing there before YHWH.

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 eat portion like portion, apart from his sold things from the fathers.

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

9 When you are coming into the land which your God YHWH is giving to you, you do 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 is not found in you one causing his son and his daughter to pass over into fire, a user of divinations, an observer of clouds, and an enchanter, and 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 and a charmer, and one inquiring from a familiar spirit, and a wizard, and one seeking to the dead.

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

12 For everyone doing these [is] an abomination [to] YHWH, and because of these abominations your God YHWH is dispossessing them from your presence.

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 You must be perfect with your God YHWH,

You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

14 for these nations whom you are possessing listen to observers of clouds and to diviners; but you—your God YHWH has not permitted you 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 Your God YHWH raises up for you a Prophet like me out of your midst, out of your brothers—you must listen to Him,

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 you asked from your God YHWH in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, Do not let me add to hear the voice of my God YHWH, and do not let me see this great fire anymore, and I do not die;

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 YHWH says to me, They have done well [in] what they have spoken;

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

18 I raise up for them a Prophet like you out of the midst of their brothers, and I have given My words in His mouth, and He has spoken to them all that which I 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 has been [that] the man who does not listen to My words which He speaks in My Name, I 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 Only, the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, and who speaks in the name of other gods, indeed, that prophet has died.

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 when you say in your heart, How do we know the word which YHWH has not spoken?

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

22 That which the prophet speaks in the Name of YHWH, and the thing is not, and does not come—it [is] the word which YHWH has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it in presumption; you are 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.