Deuteronomy

The fifth book of Moses, called Deuteronomy, chapter 18, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 18 New English Translation

Provision for Priests and Levites

   1 The Levitical priests - indeed, the entire tribe of Levi - will have no allotment or inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of the LORD and of his inheritance. 2 They will have no inheritance in the midst of their fellow Israelites; the LORD alone is their inheritance, just as he had told them. 3 This shall be the priests' fair allotment from the people who offer sacrifices, whether bull or sheep - they must give to the priest the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. 4 You must give them the best of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the best of your wool when you shear your flocks. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen them and their sons from all your tribes to stand and serve in his name permanently. 6 Suppose a Levite comes by his own free will from one of your villages, from any part of Israel where he is living, to the place the LORD chooses 7 and serves in the name of the LORD his God like his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD. 8 He must eat the same share they do, despite any profits he may gain from the sale of his family's inheritance.

Provision for Prophetism

   9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, you must not learn the abhorrent practices of those nations. 10 There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, anyone who practices divination, an omen reader, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, 11 one who casts spells, one who conjures up spirits, a practitioner of the occult, or a necromancer. 12 Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the LORD and because of these detestable things the LORD your God is about to drive them out from before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 Those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the LORD your God has not given you permission to do such things.
   15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you - from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him. 16 This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the LORD your God: "Please do not make us hear the voice of the LORD our God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die." 17 The LORD then said to me, "What they have said is good. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command. 19 I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name.
   20 "But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. 21 Now if you say to yourselves, 'How can we tell that a message is not from the LORD?' - 22 whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him."

King James Version

   1 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 them that 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, which stand there before the LORD.
   8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of 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 after the abominations of those nations.
   10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that 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 that 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, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
   16 According to all that thou desiredst 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, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that 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.