Deuteronomy 18

1 Preestis and dekenes, and alle men that ben of the same lynage, schulen `not haue part and eritage with the tother puple of Israel, for thei schulen ete the sacrifices of the Lord, and the offryngis of hym;

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 and thei schulen not take ony othir thing of the possessioun of her britheren; for the Lord hym silf is the `eritage of hem, as he spak to hem.

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

3 This schal be the doom of preestis of the puple, and of hem that offren sacrifices; whether `thei offren an oxe, ether a scheep, thei schulen yyue to the preest the schuldre, and the paunche, the firste fruytis of wheete,

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 and of wyn, and of oile, and a part of wollis of the scheryng of scheep.

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 thi Lord God chees hym of alle thi lynagis, that he stonde and mynystre to `the name of the Lord, he and hise sones, with outen ende.

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 If a dekene goith out of oon of thi citees of al Israel, in which he dwellith, `and wole come and desirith the place which the Lord chees,

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 he schal mynystre in the name of his Lord God as alle hise britheren dekenes, that schulen stonde in that tyme byfore the Lord.

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 He schal take the same part of meetis, `which and othere dekenes schulen take; outakun that that is due to hym in his citee, bi `successioun ethir eritage `of fadir.

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

9 Whanne thou hast entrid in to the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, be thou war lest thou wole sue abhomynaciouns of tho folkis;

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 noon be foundun in thee that clensith his sone, ether his douytir, `and ledith bi the fier, ethir that axith questiouns of dyuynouris `that dyuynen aboute the auteris, and that taketh hede to dremes and chiteryng of bryddis; nethir ony wicche be,

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 nethir an enchauntere, `that is, that disseyueth mennus iyen that a thing seme that is not; nether a man take counsel at hem that han a feend spekynge `in the wombe, nether take counsel at false dyuynouris nethir seke of deed men the treuthe.

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

12 For the Lord hath abhomynacioun of alle these thingis, and for siche wickidnessis he schal do awei hem in thin entryng.

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 Thou schalt be perfit and without filthe, with thi Lord God.

You shall be blameless with the LORD your God.

14 These hethen men, `the lond of whiche thou schalt welde, heren hem that worchen bi chiteryng of briddis, and false dyuynouris; forsothe thou art tauyt in other maner of thi Lord God.

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

15 Thi Lord God schal reise a prophete of thi folk and of thi britheren as me, thou schalt here hym;

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

16 as thou axidist of thi Lord God in Oreb, whanne the cumpany was gaderid, and thou seidist, Y schal no more here the vois of my Lord God, and Y schal no more se `this grettiste fier, lest Y 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 the Lord seide to me, Thei spaken wel alle thingis.

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

18 Y schal reise to hem a prophete, lijk thee, of the myddis of her britheren, and Y schal putte my wordis in his mouth, and he schal speke to hem alle thingis, whiche I schal comaunde to him.

I will raise them up a prophet from among 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 Forsothe Y schal be vengere of `that man, that nyle here the wordis `of hym, whiche he schal speke in my name.

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 `Sotheli a prophete `schal be slayn, which is bischrewid with pride, and wole speke in my name tho thingis, whiche Y comaundide not to hym, that he schulde seie, ethir bi the name of alien goddis.

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 That if thou answerist bi pryuy thouyt, Hou may Y vndirstonde the word, which the Lord spak not? thou schalt haue this signe,

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

22 `The Lord spak not this thing which thilke prophete biforseid in the name of the Lord, `and it bifallith not, but `the prophete feynede bi the pride of his soule, and therfor thou schalt not drede hym.

When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, if the thing does not 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.