< Deuteronomy 18 >

1 The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.
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.
2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said to them.
They must have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as he said to them.
3 And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether ox or sheep; and they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the stomach.
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.
4 The firstfruit also of thy grain, of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
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.
5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.
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.
6 And if a Levite shall come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD shall choose;
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,
7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD.
then he must serve in the name of Yahweh his God as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of their fathers’ estates.
They must have similar portions to eat, besides of what comes of the sale of his family's inheritance.
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
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.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
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,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with mediums, or a wizard, or one who calls up the dead.
any charmer, anyone who conjurs up spirits, or one who casts spells, or who talks with spirits of the dead.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination to the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
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.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
You must be blameless before Yahweh your God.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened to observers of times, and to diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not permitted thee so to do.
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.
15 The LORD thy God will raise up to thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like me; to him ye shall hearken;
Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, one of your brothers, like me. You must listen to him.
16 According to all that thou didst desire of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I may not die.
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.'
17 And the LORD said to me, They have well spoken of that which they have spoken.
Yahweh said to me, 'What they have said is good.
18 I will raise up to them a Prophet from among their brethren, like thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.
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.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
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.
20 But the prophet, who shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
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.'
21 And if thou shalt say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
This is what you must say in your heart: 'How will we recognize a message that Yahweh has not spoken?'
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing doth not follow, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
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.

< Deuteronomy 18 >