Deuteronomy 18

1 Neither the priests the Levites [nor] any of the tribe of Levi, shall have either portion or inheritance with Israel, —the altar-flames of Yahweh and his inheritance, shall they eat.

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,

2 But inheritance, shall he not have, in the midst of his brethren, —Yahweh, is his inheritance, as he spake unto him.

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.

3 This, therefore shall be the due of the priests from the people from them who offer the sacrifice whether ox or lamb, —there shall be given unto the priest, the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw:

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:

4 the firstfruit of thy corn thy new wine and thine oil and the first of the fleece of thy flock, shalt thou give unto him.

The firstfruits also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and a part of the wool from the shearing of their sheep.

5 For of him, hath Yahweh thy God made choice out of all thy tribes, —to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh of him and his sons all the days.

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.

6 And when the Levite shall come in out of any of thy gates out of any part of Israel, where he is sojourning, —yea shall come in with all the desire of his soul, into the place which Yahweh shall choose,

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,

7 then may he minister in the name of Yahweh his God, —like any of his brethren the Levites who are standing there before Yahweh.

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.

8 Portion for portion, shall they eat, —apart from his possessions upon his patrimony.

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.

9 When thou art coming into the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominable doings of those nations.

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.

10 There shall not be found in thy midst—One who causeth his son or his daughter to pass through fire, —Or who useth divination, hidden arts or enchantments Or who muttereth incantations;

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,

11 Or who bindeth with spells, —Or who asketh of a familiar spirit or an oracle, Or who seeketh unto the dead.

Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.

12 For, an abomination unto Yahweh, is everyone who doeth these things, —and on account of these abominations, is Yahweh thy God dispossessing them from before thee.

For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.

13 Blameless, shalt thou be with, Yahweh thy God;

Thou shalt be perfect, and without spot before the Lord thy God.

14 for, these nations whom thou art dispossessing, unto them who use hidden arts and unto diviners, do hearken, but as for thee, not so, doth Yahweh thy God suffer thee.

These nations, whose land thou shalt possess, hearken to soothsayers and diviners: but thou art otherwise instructed by the Lord thy God.

15 A prophet out of thy midst of thy brethren like unto me, will Yahweh thy God, raise up unto thee—unto him, shall ye hearken:

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:

16 according to all which thou didst ask of Yahweh thy God, in Horeb, in the day of the convocation saying, —Let me no further hearken unto the voice of Yahweh my God, and this great fire, let me not see any more lest I die.

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.

17 And Yahweh said unto me: They have well said what they have spoken.

And the Lord said to me: They have spoken all things well.

18 A prophet, will I raise up unto them, out of the midst of their brethren, like unto thee, —and I will put my words in his mouth, so shall he speak unto them whatsoever I shall command him.

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.

19 And it shall come to pass, that, the man who will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I, myself will require it of him.

And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my name, I will be the revenger.

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

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.

21 And, when thou shalt say in thy heart, —In what manner shall we know the word which Yahweh hath not spoken!?,

And if in silent thought thou answer: How shall I know the word that the Lord hath not spoken?

22 When the prophet shall speak in the name of Yahweh and the word shall not come to pass, neither shall come in, that, is the word which Yahweh, hath not spoken, —presumptuously, hath the prophet spoken it, thou shall not be in dread of him.

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.