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18 “And there shall not be for the Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, a plot of ground and an inheritance with Israel, rather they may eat an offering made by fire as their inheritance,[a] for Yahweh. And there shall not be for them[b] an inheritance of land in the midst of his brothers; rather Yahweh is his inheritance, just as he promised[c] to them.[d]

Now this shall be the share of the priest from the people, from those who sacrifice the sacrifice,[e] whether it is an ox, sheep, or goat, and they shall give the priest the shoulder and the jawbones and the stomach. The firstfruits[f] of your grain, your wine, and your olive oil and the firstfruits[g] of the fleece of your sheep you shall give to him. For Yahweh your God has chosen him from among all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons forever.[h]

And if a[i] Levite comes from one of your towns[j] from anywhere in Israel[k] where he is residing, he may come whenever he desires,[l] to the place that Yahweh will choose, and he may minister in the name of Yahweh his God, just like all his brothers, the Levites who stand there[m] before[n] Yahweh. They shall eat equal portions,[o] apart from what he may receive from the sale of his patrimony.[p]

“When you come to the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must not learn to do like the detestable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or one who practices divination,[q] or an interpreter of signs,[r] or an augur,[s] or sorcerer, 11 or one who casts magic spells, or one who consults a spirit of the dead,[t] or spiritist, or one who inquires of the dead.[u] 12 For everyone doing these things is detestable to Yahweh, and because of these detestable things Yahweh your God is driving them out from before you.[v] 13 You must be blameless before Yahweh your God. 14 For these nations that you are about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs[w] and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same.

15 “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your countrymen,[x] and to him you shall listen. 16 This is according to all that you asked[y] from Yahweh your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying,[z]I do not want again to hear[aa] the voice of Yahweh my God, and I do not want to see again this great fire, so that I may not die!’ 17 And Yahweh said to me, ‘They are right in what they have said. 18 I will raise up a prophet for them from among their countrymen[ab] like you, and I will place[ac] my words into his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.[ad] 19 And then[ae] the man that will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable. 20 However, the prophet that behaves presumptuously by speaking a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, and who speaks in the name of other gods, then that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say to yourself,[af] ‘How can we know the word that Yahweh has not spoken to him?’ 22 Whenever what the prophet spoke in the name of Yahweh, the thing does not take place and does not come about, that is the thing that Yahweh has not spoken to him.[ag] Presumptuously the prophet spoke it; you shall not fear that[ah] prophet.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:1 The meaning of the Hebrew text here is uncertain; possibly it reads: “rather an offering by fire then they will eat as their inheritance/patrimony”
  2. Deuteronomy 18:2 Hebrew “him”
  3. Deuteronomy 18:2 Literally “spoke”
  4. Deuteronomy 18:2 Hebrew “him”
  5. Deuteronomy 18:3 Literally “the sacrificers of the sacrifice”
  6. Deuteronomy 18:4 Hebrew “firstfruit”
  7. Deuteronomy 18:4 Hebrew “firstfruit”
  8. Deuteronomy 18:5 Literally “all of the days”
  9. Deuteronomy 18:6 Hebrew “the”
  10. Deuteronomy 18:6 Literally “gates”
  11. Deuteronomy 18:6 Literally “all of Israel”
  12. Deuteronomy 18:6 Literally “he may come in all the desire of his soul/inner self”
  13. Deuteronomy 18:7 Literally “the Levites the ones standing there”
  14. Deuteronomy 18:7 Literally “to the face of”
  15. Deuteronomy 18:8 Literally “a portion like a portion”
  16. Deuteronomy 18:8 Hebrew meaning of these phrases/words is not certain; also could translate as “except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates” (NASB); or “what he may inherit from his father’s family”
  17. Deuteronomy 18:10 Literally “a diviner of divination”
  18. Deuteronomy 18:10 Or “soothsayer”
  19. Deuteronomy 18:10 Or “an interpreter of omens”
  20. Deuteronomy 18:11 Or “medium”
  21. Deuteronomy 18:11 Or “necromancer”
  22. Deuteronomy 18:12 Literally “the face of you”
  23. Deuteronomy 18:14 Or “practice witchcraft”
  24. Deuteronomy 18:15 Or “your brothers”
  25. Deuteronomy 18:16 Literally “just as all of that you asked”
  26. Deuteronomy 18:16 Literally “to say”
  27. Deuteronomy 18:16 Literally “not I want to do again to hear”
  28. Deuteronomy 18:18 Literally “from the midst of their brothers”
  29. Deuteronomy 18:18 Or “give”
  30. Deuteronomy 18:18 Literally “all of what I command him”
  31. Deuteronomy 18:19 Literally “And it will happen”
  32. Deuteronomy 18:21 Literally “in your heart”
  33. Deuteronomy 18:22 Or “that Yahweh has not spoken it”
  34. Deuteronomy 18:22 Hebrew “the”

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