Deuteronomy 18
Modern English Version
Provision for Priests and Levites
18 The Levitical priests and all the tribe of Levi will not have any portion or inheritance with Israel. They must eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire and His portion. 2 They will have no inheritance among their brothers. The Lord is their inheritance, just as He has said to them.
3 This shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be an ox or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach. 4 You must give him the first fruit of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep also. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever.
6 If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place where the Lord shall choose, 7 then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before the Lord. 8 They must have the same portions to eat, besides any profits he may receive from the sale of his father’s inheritance.
A Call to Holiness
9 When you enter into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you must not learn to practice the abominations of those nations. 10 There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or who uses divination, or uses witchcraft, or an interpreter of omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts spells, or a spiritualist, or an occultist, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God will drive them out from before you. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.
The Prophet
14 For these nations, which you shall possess, listened to soothsayers and to diviners, 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 from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. You must listen to him. 16 This is according to all that you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, so that I do not die.”
17 The Lord said to me, “They have done well in what they have said. 18 I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers, like you, and will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. 19 It will be that whoever will not listen to My words which he will speak in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, who presumes to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who shall speak in the name of other gods—that prophet shall die.”
21 And you may say in your heart, “How can we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?” 22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not occur or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 18
21st Century King James Version
18 “The priests, the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His inheritance.
2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He hath said unto them.
3 “And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw.
4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
5 For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.
6 “And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the Lord shall choose,
7 then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the Lord.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh from the sale of his patrimony.
9 “When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one who maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or who useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all who do these things are an abomination unto the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
14 For these nations which thou shalt possess hearkened unto observers of times and unto diviners; but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
15 “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, from thy brethren, like unto me. Unto Him ye shall hearken,
16 according to all that thou desired of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.’
17 And the Lord said unto me: ‘They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and 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 who shall presume to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.’
21 And if thou say in thine heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?’—
22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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