Deuteronomy 18

1The priests the Levites, evenall 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.

1The Levitical priests and the entire tribe of Levi will not receive a share of land or an inheritance like the other Israelites. Instead, they will live on the food offerings presented to the LORD by fire and on what belongs to him.

2And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah is their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them.

2They will have no land inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the LORD himself is their inheritance, just as he promised them.

3And 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.

3This is what the priests are entitled to receive from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox or a sheep: they must give the priest the shoulder, the jawbones, and the stomach.

4The 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.

4You must also give them the first portion of your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, and the first wool you shear from your sheep.

5For 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.

5The LORD your God has chosen the Levites and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and serve in the name of the LORD forever.

6And 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;

6If a Levite moves from any town in Israel where he is living and comes to the place the LORD chooses because he sincerely wants to serve there,

7then he shall minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before Jehovah.

7he may minister in the name of the LORD his God, just like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD.

8They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

8He is to receive an equal share of food to eat, regardless of any money he received from selling his family's property.

9When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

9When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to follow the disgusting practices of the nations living there.

10There 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,

10No one among you should sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire, or practice fortune-telling, or use witchcraft, or interpret omens, or engage in sorcery,

11or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

11or cast spells, or function as a medium or a psychic, or try to contact the dead.

12For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

12Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. It is because of these disgusting practices that the LORD your God is driving those nations out ahead of you.

13Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.

13You must be completely faithful to the LORD your God.

14For 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.

14The nations you are about to displace listen to people who practice witchcraft and fortune-telling. But as for you, the LORD your God does not allow you to do this.

15Jehovah 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;

15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You must listen to him.

16according 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.

16This is what you asked for from the LORD your God at Mount Horeb on the day you were assembled. You said, 'Do not let us hear the voice of the LORD our God again or see this great fire anymore, or we will die.'

17And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken.

17Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is good.

18I 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.

18I will raise up a prophet for them from among their own people, one who is like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

19And 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.

19I personally will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to the words that prophet speaks in my name.

20But 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.

20But any prophet who presumes to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.'

21And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken?

21You may wonder to yourselves, 'How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?'

22when 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.

22If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come true or happen, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken arrogantly, so you do not need to fear him.