Deuteronomy 18

1 Neither the priests the Levites [nor] any of the tribe of Levi, shall have either portion or inheritance with Israel, —the altar-flames of Yahweh and his inheritance, shall they eat.

The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire and his portion.

2 But inheritance, shall he not have, in the midst of his brethren, —Yahweh, is his inheritance, as he spake unto him.

They shall have no inheritance amongst their brothers. The LORD is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them.

3 This, therefore shall be the due of the priests from the people from them who offer the sacrifice whether ox or lamb, —there shall be given unto the priest, the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw:

This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.

4 the firstfruit of thy corn thy new wine and thine oil and the first of the fleece of thy flock, shalt thou give unto him.

You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep.

5 For of him, hath Yahweh thy God made choice out of all thy tribes, —to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh of him and his sons all the days.

For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the LORD’s name, him and his sons forever.

6 And when the Levite shall come in out of any of thy gates out of any part of Israel, where he is sojourning, —yea shall come in with all the desire of his soul, into the place which Yahweh shall choose,

If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which the LORD shall choose,

7 then may he minister in the name of Yahweh his God, —like any of his brethren the Levites who are standing there before Yahweh.

then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD.

8 Portion for portion, shall they eat, —apart from his possessions upon his patrimony.

They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions.

9 When thou art coming into the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominable doings of those nations.

When you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.

10 There shall not be found in thy midst—One who causeth his son or his daughter to pass through fire, —Or who useth divination, hidden arts or enchantments Or who muttereth incantations;

There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

11 Or who bindeth with spells, —Or who asketh of a familiar spirit or an oracle, Or who seeketh unto the dead.

or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For, an abomination unto Yahweh, is everyone who doeth these things, —and on account of these abominations, is Yahweh thy God dispossessing them from before thee.

For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. Because of these abominations, the LORD your God drives them out from before you.

13 Blameless, shalt thou be with, Yahweh thy God;

You shall be blameless with the LORD your God.

14 for, these nations whom thou art dispossessing, unto them who use hidden arts and unto diviners, do hearken, but as for thee, not so, doth Yahweh thy God suffer thee.

For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practise sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so to do.

15 A prophet out of thy midst of thy brethren like unto me, will Yahweh thy God, raise up unto thee—unto him, shall ye hearken:

The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from amongst you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.

16 according to all which thou didst ask of Yahweh thy God, in Horeb, in the day of the convocation saying, —Let me no further hearken unto the voice of Yahweh my God, and this great fire, let me not see any more lest I die.

This is according to all that you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the LORD my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.”

17 And Yahweh said unto me: They have well said what they have spoken.

The LORD said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.

18 A prophet, will I raise up unto them, out of the midst of their brethren, like unto thee, —and I will put my words in his mouth, so shall he speak unto them whatsoever I shall command him.

I will raise them up a prophet from amongst their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that, the man who will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I, myself will require it of him.

It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 Howbeit the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.

But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”

21 And, when thou shalt say in thy heart, —In what manner shall we know the word which Yahweh hath not spoken!?,

You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”

22 When the prophet shall speak in the name of Yahweh and the word shall not come to pass, neither shall come in, that, is the word which Yahweh, hath not spoken, —presumptuously, hath the prophet spoken it, thou shall not be in dread of him.

When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.