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The Portion of the Levites

18 (A)The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat of the offerings to Yahweh by fire and of His inheritance. (B)And they shall have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as He [a]promised them.

(C)Now this shall be the legal judgment for the priests taken from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. You shall give him the (D)first fruits of your grain, your new wine and your oil and the first shearing of your sheep. (E)For Yahweh your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to (F)stand to minister in the name of Yahweh all the days.

“Now if a Levite comes from any of your gates of the towns throughout Israel where he (G)sojourns and comes [b]whenever he desires to the place which Yahweh chooses, then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God like all his brothers the Levites who stand there before Yahweh. (H)They shall eat [c]equal portions, except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates.

Do Not Imitate Abominations

“When you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to [d](I)imitate the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone (J)who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one (K)who practices soothsaying or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer, 11 or one who is an enchanter (L)or a medium or a spiritist or one who inquires of the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh; and (M)because of these abominations Yahweh your God will dispossess them from before you. 13 (N)You shall be [e]blameless before Yahweh your God. 14 For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who (O)practice soothsaying and to diviners, but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do so.

Yahweh Will Raise Up a Prophet

15 (P)Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers; you shall listen to him. 16 This is (Q)according to all that you asked of Yahweh your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God; let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 (R)And Yahweh said to me, ‘They have [f]spoken well. 18 I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers like you, and (S)I will put My words in his mouth, and (T)he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 (U)And it will be that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who speaks a word (V)presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or (W)which he speaks in the name of other gods, [g]that prophet shall die.’ 21 Now [h]you may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?’ 22 (X)When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it (Y)presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:2 Lit spoke to
  2. Deuteronomy 18:6 Lit with all the desire of his soul
  3. Deuteronomy 18:8 Lit portion like portion
  4. Deuteronomy 18:9 Lit do according to
  5. Deuteronomy 18:13 Or having integrity; lit complete, perfect
  6. Deuteronomy 18:17 Lit done well what they have spoken
  7. Deuteronomy 18:20 Lit and that
  8. Deuteronomy 18:21 Lit if you say

18 The priests the Levites, [a]even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and his inheritance. And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah is their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them. And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. The first-fruits of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. For Jehovah thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Jehovah, him and his sons for ever.

And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah shall choose; then he shall minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before Jehovah. They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. 14 For these nations, that thou shalt dispossess, hearken unto them that practise augury, and unto diviners; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 Jehovah 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 Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I 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, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:1 Or, and