< 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 priests, who are Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, will have no portion nor inheritance with Israel; they must eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire as 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.
They must have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as he said to 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 is the share given to the priests, given to them from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it be an oxen or a sheep: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.
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;
The firstfruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you must give him.
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 Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to serve in the name of Yahweh, him and his sons forever.
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,
If a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel from where he is living, and desires with all his soul to come to the place Yahweh 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 must serve in the name of Yahweh his God as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.
8 They eat portion like portion, apart from his sold things from the fathers.
They must have similar portions to eat, besides of what comes of the sale of his family's inheritance.
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 have come into the land that Yahweh your God is giving you, you must not learn to observe the abominations of those nations.
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,
There must not be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or his daughter in the fire, anyone who uses divination or tells fortunes, or reads signs found in a cup, or engages in witchcraft,
11 and a charmer, and one inquiring from a familiar spirit, and a wizard, and one seeking to the dead.
any charmer, anyone who conjurs up spirits, or one who casts spells, or who talks with spirits 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 an abomination to Yahweh; it is because of these abominations that Yahweh your God is driving them out from before you.
13 You must be perfect with your God YHWH,
You must be blameless before Yahweh 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.
For these nations that you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and divination; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed 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,
Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, one of your brothers, like me. 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 from Yahweh your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let us not hear again the voice of Yahweh our God, nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.'
17 and YHWH says to me, They have done well [in] what they have spoken;
Yahweh said to me, 'What they have said is good.
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 a prophet for them from among their brothers, just like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that 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.
It will happen that if anyone does not listen to the words of mine that he speaks in my name, I will require it of him.
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 the prophet who speaks a word arrogantly in my name, a word that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that very prophet must die.'
21 And when you say in your heart, How do we know the word which YHWH has not spoken?
This is what you must say in your heart: 'How will we recognize a message that Yahweh 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.”
You will recognize a message that Yahweh has spoken when a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh. If that thing does not occur nor happen, then that is something that Yahweh has not spoken and the prophet has spoken it arrogantly, and you must not be afraid of him.

< Deuteronomy 18 >