< Deuteronomy 18 >

1 The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire and his portion.
The priests, the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: the fire-offerings of the Lord, and his inheritance shall they consume.
2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. The LORD is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them.
But any inheritance shall he not have among his brethren: the Lord is his inheritance, as he hath spoken unto him.
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, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.
And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from them that slay an animal, whether it be ox or lamb: then shall each one give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
4 You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep.
The first-fruit of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the first shearing of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the LORD’s name, him and his sons forever.
For him the Lord thy God hath chosen out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, he and his sons all the days.
6 If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which the LORD shall choose,
And if the Levite come from any one of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the longing of his soul unto the place which the Lord will choose:
7 then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD.
Then can he minister in the name of the Lord his God, like all his brethren the Levites, who stand there before the Lord.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions.
They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.
9 When you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.
When thou comest into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
There shall not be found among thee any one who causeth his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who useth divination, one who is an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a conjurer.
11 or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or who inquireth of the dead.
12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. Because of these abominations, the LORD your God drives them out from before you.
For an abomination unto the Lord are all that do these things; and on account of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 You shall be blameless with the LORD your God.
Perfect shalt thou be with the Lord thy God.
14 For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so to do.
For these nations, which thou art about to dispossess, hearken unto observers of times, and unto diviners; but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not assigned the like unto thee.
15 The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.
A prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, will the Lord thy God raise up unto thee; unto him shall ye hearken:
16 This is according to all that you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the LORD my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.”
According to all that thou didst desire of the Lord thy God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, I wish no more to hear the voice of the Lord my God, and this great fire I wish not to see again, that I die not.
17 The LORD said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.
And the Lord said unto me, They have done well in what they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.
A prophet will I raise up unto them from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I may command him.
19 It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
And it shall come to pass, that if there be a man who will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”
But the prophet, who may presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who may speak in the name of other Gods even that prophet shall die.
21 You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”
And if thou shouldst say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.
That which the prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, and the thing do not happen and come not to pass— this is the word which the Lord hath not spoken; in presumption hath the prophet spoken it; thou shalt not be afraid of him.

< Deuteronomy 18 >