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) 2} They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance,^(D) as he promised them.^(E)

³ 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) 4} 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) 5} 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)

⁶ 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) 7} 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. ⁸ He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.^(O)

Occult Practices

⁹ 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.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God^(A) our Savior^(B) and of Christ Jesus our hope,^(C)

² To Timothy^(D) my true son^(E) in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

³ As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,^(G) stay there in Ephesus^(H) so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines^(I) any longer ⁴ or to devote themselves to myths^(J) and endless genealogies.^(K) Such things promote controversial speculations^(L) rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. ⁵ The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart^(M) and a good conscience^(N) and a sincere faith.^{(O) 6} Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. ⁷ They want to be teachers^(P) of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.^(Q)

⁸ We know that the law is good^(R) if one uses it properly. ⁹ We also know that the law is made not for the righteous^(S) but for lawbreakers and rebels,^(T) the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine^{(U) 11} that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.^(V)

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,^(W) that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.^{(X) 13} Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor^(Y) and a violent man, I was shown mercy^(Z) because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.^{(AA) 14} The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,^(AB) along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^(AC)

¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying^(AD) that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners^(AE)—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy^(AF) so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience^(AG) as an example for those who would believe^(AH) in him and receive eternal life.^{(AI) 17} Now to the King^(AJ) eternal, immortal,^(AK) invisible,^(AL) the only God,^(AM) be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AN)

The Charge to Timothy Renewed

¹⁸ Timothy, my son,^(AO) I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you,^(AP) so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,^{(AQ) 19} holding on to faith and a good conscience,^(AR) which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.^{(AS) 20} Among them are Hymenaeus^(AT) and Alexander,^(AU) whom I have handed over to Satan^(AV) to be taught not to blaspheme.