Portion for the Levites

18 (A)The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall not have a portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the Lords offerings by fire and His [a]property. (B)They shall not have an inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He [b]promised them.

(C)Now this shall be the priests’ portion from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give the priest the shoulder, 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 fleece of your sheep. (E)For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to (F)stand to serve in the name of the Lord always.

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

Spiritism Forbidden

“When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to [f](I)imitate the detestable things 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, a (K)soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, (L)or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and (M)because of these detestable things the Lord your God is going to drive them out before you. 13 (N)You are to be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations, which you are going to dispossess, listen to (O)soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.

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

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:1 Or inheritance
  2. Deuteronomy 18:2 Lit spoke to
  3. Deuteronomy 18:6 Lit gates
  4. Deuteronomy 18:6 Lit with all the desire of his soul
  5. Deuteronomy 18:8 Lit portion like portion
  6. Deuteronomy 18:9 Lit do as
  7. Deuteronomy 18:17 Lit done well what they have spoken
  8. Deuteronomy 18:19 I.e., hold him responsible
  9. Deuteronomy 18:20 Lit then that

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.