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利未人之业

18 “祭司利未人和利未全支派必在以色列中无份无业,他们所吃用的,就是献给耶和华的火祭和一切所捐的。 他们在弟兄中必没有产业,耶和华是他们的产业,正如耶和华所应许他们的。 祭司从百姓所当得的份乃是这样:凡献牛或羊为祭的,要把前腿和两腮并脾胃给祭司; 初收的五谷、新酒和油,并初剪的羊毛,也要给他。 因为耶和华你的神从你各支派中将他拣选出来,使他和他子孙永远奉耶和华的名侍立、侍奉。

利未人无论寄居在以色列中的哪一座城,若从那里出来,一心愿意到耶和华所选择的地方, 就要奉耶和华他神的名侍奉,像他众弟兄利未人侍立在耶和华面前侍奉一样。 除了他卖祖父产业所得的以外,还要得一份祭物与他们同吃。

勿从异邦恶俗

“你到了耶和华你神所赐之地,那些国民所行可憎恶的事,你不可学着行。 10 你们中间不可有人使儿女经火,也不可有占卜的、观兆的、用法术的、行邪术的、 11 用迷术的、交鬼的、行巫术的、过阴的, 12 凡行这些事的都为耶和华所憎恶。因那些国民行这可憎恶的事,所以耶和华你的神将他们从你面前赶出。 13 你要在耶和华你的神面前做完全人。 14 因你所要赶出的那些国民都听信观兆的和占卜的,至于你,耶和华你的神从来不许你这样行。

许以兴起先知

15 “耶和华你的神要从你们弟兄中间给你兴起一位先知像我,你们要听从他。 16 正如你在何烈山大会的日子求耶和华你神一切的话,说:‘求你不再叫我听见耶和华我神的声音,也不再叫我看见这大火,免得我死亡’, 17 耶和华就对我说:‘他们所说的是。 18 我必在他们弟兄中间给他们兴起一位先知像你,我要将当说的话传给他,他要将我一切所吩咐的都传给他们。 19 谁不听他奉我名所说的话,我必讨谁的罪。

待假先知之例

20 ‘若有先知擅敢托我的名说我所未曾吩咐他说的话,或是奉别神的名说话,那先知就必治死。’ 21 你心里若说:‘耶和华所未曾吩咐的话,我们怎能知道呢?’ 22 先知托耶和华的名说话,所说的若不成就,也无效验,这就是耶和华所未曾吩咐的,是那先知擅自说的,你不要怕他。

利未人的產業

18 「利未祭司及其他利未支派的人在以色列不可擁有土地。他們吃的是獻給耶和華的火祭,那是他們的產業。 他們在眾支派中沒有自己的產業,因為耶和華是他們的產業,這是祂的應許。 眾人所獻的牛羊的前腿、腮頰和胃應歸祭司。 你們要給祭司初收的五穀、新酒、新油和初剪的羊毛。 因為你們的上帝耶和華從各支派中揀選了利未人,讓他們世代奉祂的名事奉。

「以色列境內任何地方的利未人若願意離開自己所住的城,去耶和華選定的地方, 他可以像在耶和華面前事奉的其他利未人一樣,在那裡事奉他的上帝耶和華。 除了變賣產業所得之外,他還可以分到與其他祭司同等分量的祭物。

不可隨從外族風俗

「你們進入你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們的土地後,不可仿效當地民族的可憎行徑。 10 你們當中不可有人焚燒自己的子女作祭物,不可有人占卜、算命、作法、行邪術、 11 念咒、做靈媒、行巫術或求問亡靈。 12 凡做這些事的人都是耶和華所憎惡的。正是因為當地的民族做這些可憎之事,你們的上帝耶和華才要當著你們的面把他們趕走。 13 你們要在你們的上帝耶和華面前純全無過。

耶和華使一位先知興起

14 「你們將要趕走的那些民族聽信術士和巫師,但你們的上帝耶和華不准你們仿效他們。 15 你們的上帝耶和華要在你們中間選立一位像我一樣的先知,你們要聽從他。 16 這正是你們在何烈山聚會時向你們的上帝耶和華所求的,當時你們說,『不要讓我們再聽見我們上帝耶和華的聲音,也不要讓我們再看見這烈火,免得我們死亡。』 17 於是,耶和華對我說,『他們說的對。 18 我要在他們當中選立一位像你一樣的先知,我會告訴他該說的話,他要把我的一切吩咐告訴他們。 19 如果有人不聽從他奉我的名所說的話,我必親自懲罰那人。 20 若有先知冒我的名說我未曾吩咐他的話,或以其他神明的名義說話,必須處死他。』 21 你們也許心裡會問,『我們如何知道是否是耶和華說的話呢?』 22 如果先知奉耶和華的名說的話沒有應驗,他的話就不是耶和華說的。他是妄自說預言,你們不用怕他。

Offerings for Priests and Levites

18 The Levitical(A) priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings(B) presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance.(C) They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance,(D) as he promised them.(E)

This is the share due the priests(F) from the people who sacrifice a bull(G) or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head.(H) You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep,(I) for the Lord your God has chosen them(J) and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister(K) in the Lord’s name always.(L)

If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose,(M) he may minister in the name(N) of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.(O)

Occult Practices

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate(P) the detestable ways(Q) of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,(R) who practices divination(S) or sorcery,(T) interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,(U) 11 or casts spells,(V) or who is a medium or spiritist(W) or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.(X) 13 You must be blameless(Y) before the Lord your God.(Z)

The Prophet

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.(AA) But as for you, 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 you, from your fellow Israelites.(AB) You must listen to him. 16 For 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 nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”(AC)

17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet(AD) like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words(AE) in his mouth.(AF) He will tell them everything I command him.(AG) 19 I myself will call to account(AH) anyone who does not listen(AI) to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.(AJ) 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods,(AK) is to be put to death.”(AL)

21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true,(AM) that is a message the Lord has not spoken.(AN) That prophet has spoken presumptuously,(AO) so do not be alarmed.

The Portion of the Priests and Levites

18 “The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have [a]no part nor (A)inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them.

“And this shall be the priest’s (B)due[b] from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. (C)The firstfruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. For (D)the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes (E)to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever.

“So if a Levite comes from any of your [c]gates, from where he (F)dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind (G)to the place which the Lord chooses, then he may serve in the name of the Lord his God (H)as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the Lord. They shall have equal (I)portions to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.

Avoid Wicked Customs

“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, (J)you shall not learn to follow the [d]abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter (K)pass[e] through the fire, (L)or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 (M)or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or (N)one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are [f]an abomination to the Lord, and (O)because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be [g]blameless before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not [h]appointed such for you.

A New Prophet Like Moses

15 (P)“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb (Q)in the day of the assembly, saying, (R)‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’

17 “And the Lord said to me: (S)‘What they have spoken is good. 18 (T)I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and (U)will put My words in His mouth, (V)and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 (W)And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But (X)the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or (Y)who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 (Z)when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, (AA)if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it (AB)presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:1 no portion
  2. Deuteronomy 18:3 right
  3. Deuteronomy 18:6 towns
  4. Deuteronomy 18:9 detestable acts
  5. Deuteronomy 18:10 Be burned as an offering to an idol
  6. Deuteronomy 18:12 detestable
  7. Deuteronomy 18:13 Lit. perfect
  8. Deuteronomy 18:14 allowed you to do so