Deuteronomy 18
18
Special Privileges for Priests and Levites
(Numbers 18.8-32)
Moses said to Israel:
1The people of the Levi tribe, including the priests, will not receive any land. Instead, they will receive part of the sacrifices that are offered to the Lord, 2#Nu 18.20. because he has promised to provide for them in this way.
3When you sacrifice a bull or sheep, the priests will be given the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach.#18.3 stomach: Certain portions of the stomach were considered a delicacy. 4In addition, they will receive the first part of your grain harvest and part of your first batches of wine and olive oil.#18.4 grain … olive oil: An Israelite was supposed to offer the first part of the harvest as a gift to the Lord (see Leviticus 23.10,11). You must also give them the first wool that is cut from your sheep each year. 5Give these gifts to the priests, because the Lord has chosen them and their descendants out of all the tribes of Israel to be his special servants at the place of worship.
6Any Levite can leave his hometown, and go to the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped, 7and then be a special servant of the Lord#18.7 a special servant of the Lord: Or “one of the Lord's priests.” there, just like all the other Levites. 8Some Levites may have money from selling family possessions, and others may not. But all Levites serving at the place of worship will receive the same amount of food from the sacrifices and gifts brought by the people.
Don't Do Disgusting Things
Moses said to Israel:
9Soon you will go into the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The nations that live there do things that are disgusting to the Lord, and you must not follow their example. 10-11#Lv 19.26; Ex 22.18; Lv 19.31. Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes#18.10,11 tell fortunes: Fortunetellers thought they could learn secrets or learn about the future by watching the flight of birds or looking at the livers of animals or in many other ways. or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead.
12The Lord is disgusted with anyone who does these things, and that's why he will help you destroy the nations that are in the land. 13#Mt 5.48. Never be guilty of doing any of these disgusting things!
A Prophet like Moses
Moses said to Israel:
14You will go in and take the land from nations that practice magic and witchcraft. But the Lord your God won't allow you to do those things. 15#Ac 3.22; 7.37. Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says. 16You were asking for a prophet the day you were gathered at Mount Sinai#18.16 Mount Sinai: See the note at 1.1-5. and said to the Lord, “Please don't let us hear your voice or see this terrible fire again—if we do, we will die!”
17Then the Lord told me:
Moses, they have said the right thing. 18So when I want to speak to them, I will choose one of them to be a prophet like you. I will give my message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said. 19#Ac 3.23. Since the message comes from me, anyone who doesn't obey the message will have to answer to me.
20But if I haven't spoken, and a prophet claims to have a message from me, you must kill that prophet, and you must also kill any prophet who claims to have a message from another god.
Moses said to Israel:
21You may be asking yourselves, “How can we tell if a prophet's message really comes from the Lord?” 22You will know, because if the Lord says something will happen, it will happen. And if it doesn't, you will know that the prophet was falsely claiming to speak for the Lord. Don't be afraid of any prophet whose message doesn't come from the Lord.
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Deuteronomy 18: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy 18
18
The Portion of the Priests and Levites
1“The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor #Deut. 10:9; 1 Cor. 9:13inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. 2Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them.
3“And this shall be the priest’s #Lev. 7:32–34; Num. 18:11, 12; 1 Sam. 2:13–16, 29due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. 4#Ex. 22:29The firstfruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5For #Ex. 28:1the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes #Deut. 10:8to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever.
6“So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he #Num. 35:2dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind #Deut. 12:5; 14:23to the place which the Lord chooses, 7then he may serve in the name of the Lord his God #Num. 1:50; 2 Chr. 31:2as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the Lord. 8They shall have equal #Lev. 27:30–33; Num. 18:21–24; 2 Chr. 31:4; Neh. 12:44portions to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.
Avoid Wicked Customs
9“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, #Lev. 18:26, 27, 30; Deut. 12:29, 30; 20:16–18you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter #Lev. 18:21; Deut. 12:31pass through the fire, #Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Is. 8:19or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11#Lev. 20:27or #1 Sam. 28:7one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and #Lev. 18:24; Deut. 9:4because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. 14For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.
A New Prophet Like Moses
15#Matt. 21:11; Luke 1:76; 2:25–34; 7:16; 24:19; Acts 3:22“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb #Deut. 5:23–27in the day of the assembly, saying, #Ex. 20:18, 19; Heb. 12:19‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’
17“And the Lord said to me: #Deut. 5:28‘What they have spoken is good. 18#Deut. 34:10; John 1:45; Acts 3:22I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and #Num. 23:5; Is. 49:2; 51:16; John 17:8will put My words in His mouth, #(John 4:25; 8:28)and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19#Acts 3:23; (Heb. 12:25)And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20But #Deut. 13:5; Jer. 14:14, 15; Zech. 13:2–5the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or #Deut. 13:1–3; Jer. 2:8who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— 22#Jer. 28:9when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, #Deut. 13:2if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it #Deut. 18:20presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.