Deuteronomy 18

1 The priests, who are Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, will have no portion nor inheritance with Israel; they must eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire as their inheritance.

The priests, the Levites, that is, all the tribe of Levi, will have no part or heritage with Israel: their food and their heritage will be the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

2 They must have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as he said to them.

And they will have no heritage among their countrymen: the Lord is their heritage, as he has said to them.

3 This is the share given to the priests, given to them from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it be an oxen or a sheep: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.

And this is to be the priests' right: those who make an offering of a sheep or an ox are to give to the priest the top part of the leg and the two sides of the head and the stomach.

4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you must give him.

And in addition you are to give him the first of your grain and wine and oil, and the first wool cut from your sheep.

5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to serve in the name of Yahweh, him and his sons forever.

For he, and his sons after him for ever, have been marked out by the Lord your God from all your tribes, to do the work of priests in the name of the Lord.

6 If a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel from where he is living, and desires with all his soul to come to the place Yahweh will choose,

And if a Levite, moved by a strong desire, comes from any town in all Israel where he is living to the place marked out by the Lord;

7 then he must serve in the name of Yahweh his God as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.

Then he will do the work of a priest in the name of the Lord his God, with all his brothers the Levites who are there before the Lord.

8 They must have similar portions to eat, besides of what comes of the sale of his family's inheritance.

His food will be the same as theirs, in addition to what has come to him as the price of his property.

9 When you have come into the land that Yahweh your God is giving you, you must not learn to observe the abominations of those nations.

When you have come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, do not take as your example the disgusting ways of those nations.

10 There must not be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or his daughter in the fire, anyone who uses divination or tells fortunes, or reads signs found in a cup, or engages in witchcraft,

Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker,

11 any charmer, anyone who conjurs up spirits, or one who casts spells, or who talks with spirits of the dead.

Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions.

12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh; it is because of these abominations that Yahweh your God is driving them out from before you.

For all who do such things are disgusting to the Lord; and because of these disgusting things the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

13 You must be blameless before Yahweh your God.

You are to be upright in heart before the Lord your God.

14 For these nations that you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and divination; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do so.

For these nations, whose land you are taking, give attention to readers of signs and to those using secret arts: but the Lord your God will not let you do so.

15 Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, one of your brothers, like me. You must listen to him.

The Lord your God will give you a prophet from among your people, like me; you will give ear to him;

16 This is what you asked from Yahweh your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let us not hear again the voice of Yahweh our God, nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.'

In answer to the request you made to the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the great meeting, when you said, Let not the voice of the Lord my God come to my ears again, and let me not see this great fire any more, or death will overtake me.

17 Yahweh said to me, 'What they have said is good.

Then the Lord said to me, What they have said is well said.

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

I will give them a prophet from among themselves, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he will say to them whatever I give him orders to say.

19 It will happen that if anyone does not listen to the words of mine that he speaks in my name, I will require it of him.

And whoever does not give ear to my words which he will say in my name, will be responsible to me.

20 But the prophet who speaks a word arrogantly in my name, a word that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that very prophet must die.'

But the prophet who takes it on himself to say words in my name which I have not given him orders to say, or who says anything in the name of other gods, will come to his death.

21 This is what you must say in your heart: 'How will we recognize a message that Yahweh has not spoken?'

And if you say in your hearts, How are we to be certain that the word does not come from the Lord?

22 You will recognize a message that Yahweh has spoken when a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh. If that thing does not occur nor happen, then that is something that Yahweh has not spoken and the prophet has spoken it arrogantly, and you must not be afraid of him.

When a prophet makes a statement in the name of the Lord, if what he says does not take place and his words do not come true, then his word is not the word of the Lord: the words of the prophet were said in the pride of his heart, and you are to have no fear of him.