Deuteronomy 18

1 The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance.

2 Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.

3 This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.

4 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.

5 For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.

6 Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,

7 then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD.

8 They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.

9 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,

11 casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.

12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

14 Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.

16 This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”

17 Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.

18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

19 And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.

20 But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

21 You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?”

22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

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.

2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD [is] their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether [it be] ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

4 The firstfruit [also] of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou 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.

6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites [do], which stand there before the LORD.

8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

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.

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,

11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so [to do].

15 ¶ The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst 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 die not.

17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well [spoken that] which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require [it] of him.

20 But the prophet, which 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.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, 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.

1 The priests, the Levites, of all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel. The sacrifices of the LORD, and his inheritance, shall they eat.

2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; that the LORD may be their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them.

3 And this shall be the law of the priests upon the people, and upon them that sacrifice, whether they be oxen or sheep, to give unto the priest the arm, and the cheek, and the belly.

4 And the firstling of thy corn, and of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the firstling of the shearing of thy sheep.

5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to minister in the name of the LORD, he and his sons for ever.

6 If a Levite come out of any of thy gates, or out of all Israel, where he is a sojourner, and come according to all the pleasure of his soul into the place which the LORD hath mentioned,

7 To minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites, which stand there before the LORD,

8 And they shall have an equal part to eat of the things which he hath sold. Property of his fathers.

9 When thou comest into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn the abominations of these nations.

10 Lest there be found among thee a man that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or a prophet, or a diviner, or one that hearkeneth unto the voice of birds, or a sorcerer,

11 Or conjurors, or diviners, or interpreters of signs, or one who inquires of the dead.

12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto the LORD: and for these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

13 But thou shalt be without change with the LORD thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt take, obey the diviners and the prophets: but thou shalt not so hold thyself against the LORD thy God.

15 A prophet like unto me shall the LORD thy God raise up unto thee out of thee, and out of thy brethren, and ye shall obey him.

16 As thou hast asked of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the congregation, saying: I will no more hear the voice of the LORD my God, neither will I see the great fire any more, lest I die.

17 And the LORD said unto me, They have spoken well.

18 I will raise up unto them a prophet like unto thee from among their brethren, and will give my words to his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And whosoever shall not hear my words, which he shall speak in my name, of him will I require it.

20 But if any prophet be presumptuous to speak in my name, which I commanded him not to speak, and that speaketh in the name of other gods, the same prophet shall die.

21 But whether thou wilt say in thine heart: How can I know what word the LORD hath not spoken?

22 If a prophet speak in the name of the LORD, and it come to nothing, and be not come, that is the word which the LORD hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it out of presumption: therefore shun him not.