申命記 18
1 肋未人司祭即全肋未支派，在以色列中沒有分子和產業，他們靠獻與上主的火祭祭品，和他們應得的一分維持生活。
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 他在兄弟中間沒有產業；照上主向他所說的，上主自己要作他們的產業。
While they don't own land among the other tribes, the Lord takes care of them, as he promised.
3 這是司祭由人民應得的一份，就是宰殺牛羊作祭獻的人，應將前腿、兩腮和胃臟給司祭；
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 初收的五穀、酒、油和初剪的羊毛，亦應給他，
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 因為上主你的天主由各支派中揀選了他，叫他和他的子孫，時時以上主的名義服役供職。
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 如果一個住在以色列境內任何城鎮的肋未人，離開了本地，一心一意地要到上主所選的地方去，
If a Levite is convinced he should move from any Israelite town and goes to the place the Lord will choose,
7 他可因上主的名義供職，如同在那裏侍立於上主面前的肋未弟兄們一樣，
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 分享同樣的口糧，不必變賣祖產。
They will all receive the same food allowances, despite him having received money from the sale of his father's property.
9 幾時你進入了上主你的天主賜給你的土地，不要仿傚那些異民做可憎惡的事。
Once you enter the country the Lord your God is giving you, don't copy the offensive ways of the nations there.
10 在你中間，不可容許人使自己的兒子或女兒經過火，也不可容許人占卜、算卦、行妖術或魔術；
There should be no one who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or fortune-telling, uses magic or sorcery,
11 或念咒、問鬼、算命和求問死者；
practices witchcraft, visits a medium or spiritist, or communicates with the dead. Anyone does such things offends the Lord.
12 因為凡做這些事的人，都是上主所憎惡的；其實就是為了這些可憎惡的事，上主你的天主纔把他們由你面前趕走。
It's because of these offensive things that the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you.
13 你應一心一意屬於上主你的天主。
You are to be innocent of such things in the presence of the Lord your God.
14 你要趕走的這些民族，聽信了算卦和占卜的人；但上主你的天主為你卻不是這樣安排；
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 上主你的天主，要由你中間，由你兄弟中，為你興起一位像我一樣的先知，你們應聽信他。
The Lord your God will send you a prophet like me from your people. You must listen to him.
16 正如你在曷勒布集會之日，求上主你的天主說：「惟願我再不聽見上主我的天主的聲音，再不看見這烈火，免得我死亡。」
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 上主遂對我說：「他們說得有理，
Then the Lord told me, “They are right in what they're saying.
18 我要由他們的兄弟中，給他們興起一位像你一樣的先知，我要將我的話放在他口中，他要向他們講述我所吩咐他的一切。
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 若有人不聽信他因我的名所說的話，我要親自同他算賬。
I will deal with anyone who does not listen to my message that the prophet speaks in my name.
20 但是，若一位先知擅敢因我的名說我沒有吩咐他說的話，或因其他神的名說話，這位先知應該處死。」
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 也許你心裏想：「我們怎能知道上主未曾說過這話﹖」
You may be wondering, “How can we be sure that a message hasn't come from the Lord?”
22 幾時一位先知因上主之名說話，若他的話不實現，不應驗，這話就不是上主說的，是先知擅自說的，你不用怕他。
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.
