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18 The kohanim, who are Levi’im, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no chelek nor nachalah with Yisroel; they shall eat the offerings of Hashem made by eish, even His nachalah.

Therefore shall they have no nachalah among their achim; Hashem is their nachalah, as He hath said unto them.

And this shall be the mishpat hakohanim (the right of the kohanim) from the people, from them that offer the zevach, whether it be shor or seh; and they shall give unto the kohen the shoulder, and the two jowls, and the stomach.

The reshit also of thy grain, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the reshit of the shearing of thy tzon, shalt thou give him.

For Hashem Eloheicha hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the Shem of Hashem, he and his banim kol hayamim.

And if a Levi come from any of thy she’arim (gates, i.e., towns) out of kol Yisroel, where he is living, and come with all the earnestness of his nefesh unto the place which Hashem shall choose;

Then he shall minister in the Shem of Hashem Elohav, as all his achim the Levi’im do, which stand there before Hashem.

They shall have chelek k’chelek (like portions) to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

When thou art come into ha’aretz which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to imitate the to’avot (abominations) of those Goyim.

10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his ben or his bat to pass through the eish (i.e., be burned as an idol’s offering) or kosem kesamim (a diviner of divination) or a m’onen (soothsayer, astrologer), or a m’nachesh (one who interprets omens), or a mekhashshef (witch).

11 Or one who casts spells, or one who inquires of a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a doresh el hamesim (a consulter of the dead ones, i.e., a necromancer).

12 For all that do these things are a to’avat Hashem; and because of these to’evot, Hashem Eloheicha is about to drive them out before thee.

13 Thou shalt be tamim (blameless) before Hashem Eloheicha.

14 For these Goyim, which thou shalt dispossess, paid heed unto soothsayers, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Hashem Eloheicha hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 Hashem Eloheicha will raise up unto thee a Navi from among thee, of thy achim, kamoni (like me [Moshe, Ex 32:30]); unto him ye must listen;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of Hashem Eloheicha in Chorev in the Yom HaKahal, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Hashem Elohav, neither let me see this eish hagedolah any more, that I die not.

17 And Hashem said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Navi from among their achim, like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him [Yn 10:18].

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not listen unto My words which he shall speak Bishmi (in My Name), I will require it of him.

20 But the navi, which shall presume to speak a word Bishmi (In My Name), which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the shem of elohim acharim, even that navi shall die.

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

22 When a navi speaketh b’Shem Hashem, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Hashem hath not spoken, but the navi hath spoken it bezadon (in zadon [presumption, arrogance]); thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Provision for Priests and Levites

18 “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, (A)shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They (B)shall eat the Lord's food offerings[a] as their[b] inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: (C)they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. (D)The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes (E)to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.

“And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, (F)where he lives—and he may come when he desires[c](G)to the place that the Lord will choose, and ministers in the name of the Lord his God, (H)like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord, then he may have equal (I)portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.[d]

Abominable Practices

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, (J)you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone (K)who burns his son or his daughter as an offering,[e] anyone who (L)practices divination or (M)tells fortunes or interprets omens, or (N)a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or (O)a medium or a necromancer or (P)one who inquires of the dead, 12 (Q)for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And (R)because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.

A New Prophet like Moses

15 (S)“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb (T)on the day of the assembly, when you said, (U)‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, (V)‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 (W)I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. (X)And I will put my words in his mouth, and (Y)he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 (Z)And whoever will (AA)not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 (AB)But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or[f] who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 (AC)when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; (AD)the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:1 Or the offerings by fire to the Lord
  2. Deuteronomy 18:1 Hebrew his
  3. Deuteronomy 18:6 Or lives—if he comes enthusiastically
  4. Deuteronomy 18:8 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  5. Deuteronomy 18:10 Hebrew makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire
  6. Deuteronomy 18:20 Or and

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.

Chapter 18

Priests. The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no hereditary portion with Israel; they shall eat the fire offerings of the Lord and the portions due to him.(A) They shall have no heritage among their kindred; the Lord himself is their heritage, as he has told them.(B) This shall be the due of the priests from the people: those who are offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep, shall give the priest the shoulder, the jowls and the stomach. The first fruits of your grain, your wine, and your oil,(C) as well as the first shearing of your flock, you shall also give him. For the Lord, your God, has chosen him out of all your tribes to be in attendance to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his descendants for all time.(D)

When a Levite goes from one of your communities anywhere in Israel in which he has been residing, to visit, as his heart may desire, the place which the Lord will choose, and ministers there in the name of the Lord, his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand before the Lord there, he shall receive the same portions to eat, along with his stipends and patrimony.[a]

Prophets. When you come into the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of the nations there.(E) 10 (F)Let there not be found among you anyone who causes their son or daughter to pass through the fire,[b] or practices divination, or is a soothsayer, augur, or sorcerer, 11 or who casts spells, consults ghosts and spirits, or seeks oracles from the dead. 12 Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord, and because of such abominations the Lord, your God, is dispossessing them before you.(G) 13 You must be altogether sincere with the Lord, your God. 14 Although these nations whom you are about to dispossess listen to their soothsayers and diviners, the Lord, your God, will not permit you to do so.

15 A prophet like me[c] will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kindred; that is the one to whom you shall listen.(H) 16 This is exactly what you requested of the Lord, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let me not again hear the voice of the Lord, my God, nor see this great fire any more, or I will die.”(I) 17 And the Lord said to me, What they have said is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command.(J) 19 Anyone who will not listen to my words which the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will hold accountable for it.(K) 20 But if a prophet presumes to speak a word in my name(L) that I have not commanded, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.

21 Should you say to yourselves, “How can we recognize that a word is one the Lord has not spoken?”, 22 if a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the word does not come true, it is a word the Lord did not speak. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not fear him.

Footnotes

  1. 18:8 His stipends and patrimony: meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 18:10–11 Causes their son or daughter to pass through the fire: to Molech. See note on Lv 18:21. Such human sacrifices are classed here with various occult and magical practices because they were believed to possess powers for averting a calamity; cf. 2 Kgs 3:27. Three other categories of magic are listed here: divination of the future (by a soothsayer or augur); black magic (by a sorcerer or one who casts spells); and necromancy (by one who consults ghosts and spirits, or seeks oracles from the dead to divine the future).
  3. 18:15 A prophet like me: from the context (opposition to the practices described in vv. 10–11) it seems that Moses is referring in general to all the true prophets who were to succeed him. This passage came to be understood in a quasi-Messianic sense in the New Testament (Mt 17:5; Jn 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37).