Deuteronomy 18

1 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.

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 They must have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as he said to them.

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

3 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.

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 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.

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

5 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.

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 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,

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 must serve in the name of Yahweh his God as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.

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 must have similar portions to eat, besides of what comes of the sale of his family's inheritance.

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

9 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.

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 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,

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 any charmer, anyone who conjurs up spirits, or one who casts spells, or who talks with spirits of the dead.

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

12 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.

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 blameless before Yahweh your God.

You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

14 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.

Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

15 Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, one of your brothers, like me. 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 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.'

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 Yahweh said to me, 'What they have said is good.

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

18 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.

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 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.

And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.

20 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.'

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 This is what you must say in your heart: 'How will we recognize a message that Yahweh has not spoken?'

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

22 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.

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.