Deuteronomy 18

1 The priests the Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of YHWH made by fire, and his inheritance.

The priests, the Levites, that is, all the tribe of Levi, will have no part or heritage with Israel: their food and their heritage will be the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers: YHWH is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them.

And they will have no heritage among their countrymen: the Lord is their heritage, as he has said to them.

3 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, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

And this is to be the priests' right: those who make an offering of a sheep or an ox are to give to the priest the top part of the leg and the two sides of the head and the stomach.

4 The first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.

And in addition you are to give him the first of your grain and wine and oil, and the first wool cut from your sheep.

5 For YHWH your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to minister in the name of YHWH, him and his sons for ever.

For he, and his sons after him for ever, have been marked out by the Lord your God from all your tribes, to do the work of priests in the name of the Lord.

6 If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives as a foreigner, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which YHWH shall choose;

And if a Levite, moved by a strong desire, comes from any town in all Israel where he is living to the place marked out by the Lord;

7 then he shall minister in the name of YHWH his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before YHWH.

Then he will do the work of a priest in the name of the Lord his God, with all his brothers the Levites who are there before the Lord.

8 They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which comes of the sale of his patrimony.

His food will be the same as theirs, in addition to what has come to him as the price of his property.

9 When you have come into the land which YHWH your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

When you have come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, do not take as your example the disgusting ways of those nations.

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who practices divination, or tells fortunes, or interprets omens, or a sorcerer,

Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker,

11 or who casts spells, or consults a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquires of the dead.

Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions.

12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to YHWH. And because of these abominations YHWH your God is driving them out from before you.

For all who do such things are disgusting to the Lord; and because of these disgusting things the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

13 You shall be blameless before YHWH your God.

You are to be upright in heart before the Lord your God.

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

For these nations, whose land you are taking, give attention to readers of signs and to those using secret arts: but the Lord your God will not let you do so.

15 YHWH your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.

The Lord your God will give you a prophet from among your people, like me; you will give ear to him;

16 This is according to all that you desired of YHWH your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, "Let me not hear again the voice of YHWH my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die."

In answer to the request you made to the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the great meeting, when you said, Let not the voice of the Lord my God come to my ears again, and let me not see this great fire any more, or death will overtake me.

17 YHWH said to me, "They have well said that which they have spoken.

Then the Lord said to me, What they have said is well said.

18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

I will give them a prophet from among themselves, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he will say to them whatever I give him orders to say.

19 It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will call him to account.

And whoever does not give ear to my words which he will say in my name, will be responsible to me.

20 But the prophet, who shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die."

But the prophet who takes it on himself to say words in my name which I have not given him orders to say, or who says anything in the name of other gods, will come to his death.

21 If you say in your heart, "How shall we know the word which YHWH has not spoken?"

And if you say in your hearts, How are we to be certain that the word does not come from the Lord?

22 When a prophet speaks in the name of YHWH, if the thing doesn't follow, nor happen, that is the thing which YHWH has not spoken: the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him.

When a prophet makes a statement in the name of the Lord, if what he says does not take place and his words do not come true, then his word is not the word of the Lord: the words of the prophet were said in the pride of his heart, and you are to have no fear of him.