Deuteronomy 18
18
Priests and Levites
1Neither the levitical priests nor any Levite tribe member will have a designated inheritance in Israel. They can eat the sacrifices offered to the LORD, which are the LORD’s portion,#18.1 Heb uncertain 2but they won’t share an inheritance with their fellow Israelites. The LORD alone is the Levites’ inheritance—just as God promised them.
3Now this is what the priests may keep from the people’s sacrifices of oxen or sheep: They must give the priest the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach. 4You must also give the priest the first portions of your grain, wine, and oil, and the first of your sheep’s shearing 5because the LORD your God selected Levi from all of your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’s name—both him and his descendants for all time.
6Now if a Levite leaves one of your cities or departs from any location in Israel where he’s been living and, because he wants to, comes to the location the LORD selects 7and ministers in the LORD his God’s name, just like his relatives—the other Levites serving there in the LORD’s presence— 8he is allowed to eat equal portions, despite the finances he has from his family.#18.8 Heb uncertain
Communicating with God
9Once you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, don’t try to imitate the detestable things those nations do. 10There must not be anyone among you who passes his son or daughter through fire; who practices divination, is a sign reader, fortune-teller, sorcerer, 11or spell caster; who converses with ghosts or spirits or communicates with the dead. 12All who do these things are detestable to the LORD! It is on account of these detestable practices that the LORD your God is driving these nations#18.12 Or them out before you.
13Instead, you must be perfect before the LORD your God. 14These nations you are displacing listened to sign readers and diviners, but the LORD your God doesn’t permit you to do the same! 15The LORD your God will raise up a prophet like me from your community, from your fellow Israelites. He’s the one you must listen to. 16That’s exactly what you requested from the LORD your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, when you said, “I can’t listen to the LORD my God’s voice anymore or look at this great fire any longer. I don’t want to die!”
17The LORD said to me: What they’ve said is right. 18I’ll raise up a prophet for them from among their fellow Israelites—one just like you. I’ll put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19I myself will hold accountable anyone who doesn’t listen to my words, which that prophet will speak in my name. 20However, any prophet who arrogantly speaks a word in my name that I haven’t commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.
21Now, you might be wondering, How will we know which word God hasn’t spoken? 22Here’s the answer: The prophet who speaks in the LORD’s name and the thing doesn’t happen or come about—that’s the word the LORD hasn’t spoken. That prophet spoke arrogantly. Don’t be afraid of him.#18.22 Or bothered by it (the prophecy)
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Deuteronomy 18: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy 18
18
1The priests the Levites, even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and his inheritance. 2And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah is their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them. 3And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. 4The first-fruits of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 5For Jehovah thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Jehovah, him and his sons for ever.
6And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah shall choose; 7then he shall minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before Jehovah. 8They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.
9When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. 14For these nations, that thou shalt dispossess, hearken unto them that practise augury, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
15Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18I will raise them up a prophet 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 shall command him. 19And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
20But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.
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