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.
Currently Selected:
Deuteronomy 18: CEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 18
18
1“The priests, the Lĕwites, all the tribe of Lĕwi, have no part nor inheritance with Yisra’ĕl. They are to eat the offerings of יהוה made by fire, and His inheritance.
2But among his brothers Lĕwi has no inheritance. יהוה is his inheritance, as He has spoken to him.
3“And this is the priest’s right from the people, from those who slaughter a slaughtering, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the stomach;
4the first-fruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you give to him.
5“For יהוה your Elohim has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to serve in the Name of יהוה, him and his sons forever.
6“And when the Lĕwite comes from one of your gates, from where he has sojourned among all Yisra’ĕl, and shall come with all the desire of his being to the place which יהוה chooses,
7then he shall serve in the Name of יהוה his Elohim, like all his brothers the Lĕwites, who are standing there before יהוה.
8“They are to have portion for portion to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.
9When you come into the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, do not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.#See footnote at Deu. 12:30
10“Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practises divination, or a user of magic, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer,
11or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
12“For whoever does these is an abomination to יהוה, and because of these abominations יהוה your Elohim drives them out from before you.
13“Be perfect before יהוה your Elohim,
14for these nations whom you are possessing do listen to those using magic and to diviners. But as for you, יהוה your Elohim has not appointed such for you.
15יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet#See footnote at Deu. 18:18 like me from your midst, from your brothers. Listen to Him,
16according to all you asked of יהוה your Elohim in Ḥorĕḇ in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of יהוה my Elohim, nor let me see this great fire any more, lest I die.’
17“And יהוה said to me, ‘What they have spoken is good.
18I shall raise up for them a Prophet#See also Acts 3:22-26; Acts 7:37 like you out of the midst of their brothers. And I shall put My Words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
19And it shall be, the man who does not listen to My Words which He speaks in My Name, I require it of him.
20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other mighty ones, even that prophet shall die.’
21“And when you say in your heart, ‘How do we know the word which יהוה has not spoken?’ –
22when the prophet speaks in the Name of יהוה and the word is not, or comes not, that is the word which יהוה has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright© 1993 – 2015 by the Institute for Scripture Research (ISR). All rights reserved.