UDutheronomi 18
1 Abapristi, amaLevi, isizwe sonke sakoLevi, kasiyikuba lesabelo lelifa kanye loIsrayeli; bazakudla iminikelo yeNkosi eyenziwe ngomlilo, lelifa layo.
The Levitical priests, in fact the whole tribe of Levi, will not have a share in the land allotment with the other Israelites. They are to eat from the food offerings presented to the Lord—that is what they are entitled to receive.
2 Ngakho kabayikuba lelifa phakathi kwabafowabo; iNkosi iyilifa labo, njengokukhuluma kwayo kibo.
While they don't own land among the other tribes, the Lord takes care of them, as he promised.
3 Lalokhu kuzakuba lilungelo labapristi elivela ebantwini, kulabo abahlaba umhlatshelo, loba inkabi loba imvu; njalo bazanika umpristi umkhono lemihlathi yomibili lolusu.
The priests' share of a sacrifice of a bull or a sheep that is brought by the people is as follows. The priests are to be given the shoulder, the jaw, and the insides.
4 Okokuqala kwamabele akho, yewayini lakho elitsha, leyamafutha akho, lengqabutho yoboya bezimvu zakho, uzamupha yona.
You are to provide them with the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the first wool sheared from your flock.
5 Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho imkhethile kuzo zonke izizwe zakho, ukuthi eme akhonze ebizweni leNkosi, yena lamadodana akhe, zonke izinsuku.
For the Lord your God has chosen Levi and his descendants from all your tribes to stand before him and serve in his name forever.
6 Uba-ke umLevi esiza evela loba kukuliphi lamasango akho kuIsrayeli wonke lapho ahlala khona njengowezizwe, eze ngesifiso sonke somphefumulo wakhe endaweni iNkosi ezayikhetha,
If a Levite is convinced he should move from any Israelite town and goes to the place the Lord will choose,
7 khona ezakhonza ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe njengabo bonke abafowabo amaLevi, emiyo khona phambi kweNkosi.
then he shall be allowed to serve in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there in service before the Lord.
8 Azakudla izabelo ezilinganayo, ngaphandle kwezinto zakhe ezathengiswayo zaboyise.
They will all receive the same food allowances, despite him having received money from the sale of his father's property.
9 Lapho usufikile elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona, ungafundi ukwenza ngokwezinengiso zalezozizwe.
Once you enter the country the Lord your God is giving you, don't copy the offensive ways of the nations there.
10 Kakuyikutholakala phakathi kwakho owenza indodana yakhe lendodakazi yakhe idabule emlilweni, owenza ukuvumisa, ochasisa ngemibono, lowenza imilingo, lomthakathi,
There should be no one who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or fortune-telling, uses magic or sorcery,
11 lophosayo, lolamadlozi, lolumbayo, lobuza kwabafileyo.
practices witchcraft, visits a medium or spiritist, or communicates with the dead. Anyone does such things offends the Lord.
12 Ngoba wonke owenza lezizinto uyisinengiso eNkosini. Langenxa yalezizinengiso iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iyabaxotsha elifeni phambi kwakho.
It's because of these offensive things that the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you.
13 Uzakuba ngopheleleyo eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.
You are to be innocent of such things in the presence of the Lord your God.
14 Ngoba izizwe lezi, ozakudla ilifa lazo, zalalela abachasisa ngemibono labavumisi; kodwa wena, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikuvumelanga okunjalo.
Even though these nations, whose land you will occupy, listen to magicians and fortune-tellers, the Lord your God forbids you to do so.
15 INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakuvusela uMprofethi ophuma phakathi kwakho kubafowenu onjengami; yena limlalele.
The Lord your God will send you a prophet like me from your people. You must listen to him.
16 Njengakho konke owakucelayo eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho eHorebe ngosuku lokuhlangana, usithi: Kangingaphindi ngilizwe ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wami, ngingabe ngisawubona lumlilo omkhulu, ukuze ngingafi.
Remember what you told the Lord your God at Horeb when you were all assembled there. You said, “Please don't let us go on hearing the Lord our God speak to us, or see this terrifying fire anymore! Otherwise we're going to die!”
17 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Benze kuhle kwabakukhulumileyo.
Then the Lord told me, “They are right in what they're saying.
18 Ngizabavusela uMprofethi ophuma phakathi kwabafowabo onjengawe; ngizabeka amazwi ami emlonyeni wakhe, njalo akhulume kibo konke engizamlaya khona.
I'm going to send them a prophet like you from their people. I will give him my messages, and he will tell them everything I order him to say.
19 Kuzakuthi-ke loba ngubani ongayikulalela amazwi ami azawakhuluma ebizweni lami, ngizakubuza kuye.
I will deal with anyone who does not listen to my message that the prophet speaks in my name.
20 Kodwa umprofethi oziqhenya ekhuluma ilizwi ebizweni lami engingamlayanga ukulikhuluma, loba ekhuluma ebizweni labanye onkulunkulu, lowomprofethi uzakufa.
However, if any prophet claims to be delivering a message in my name that I have not ordered him to give, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must be executed.”
21 Njalo uba usithi enhliziyweni yakho: Sizakwazi njani ilizwi iNkosi engalikhulumanga?
You may be wondering, “How can we be sure that a message hasn't come from the Lord?”
22 Lapho umprofethi ekhuluma ebizweni leNkosi, uba leyonto ingenzeki kumbe ingafiki, lelo yilizwi iNkosi engalikhulumanga; umprofethi ulikhulume ngokuziqhenya; ungamesabi.
When a prophet speaks in the Lord's name and what he says doesn't happen or come true, then that is a not a message from the Lord. The prophet has spoken with contempt for the Lord. Don't be intimidated by him.
