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Deuteronomy 18

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' 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. 

King James Bible (1769). Public Domain.
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Deuteronomy 18

English Standard Version



1 “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the Lord’s food offerings[1] as their[2] inheritance. (Nu 18:8; Nu 18:20; Jos 13:14; 1Sa 2:28; 1Co 9:13) 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. (Le 7:30) 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. (Nu 18:12; 2Ch 31:5) 5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time. (De 17:12) 6 “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires[3]—to the place that the Lord will choose, (Nu 35:2; De 12:5; Jud 17:7; Jud 19:1) 7 and ministers in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord, (1Ch 23:6; 2Ch 31:2) 8 then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.[4] (2Ch 31:4; Ne 12:44; Ne 12:47; Ne 13:10) 



9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. (Le 18:26; De 12:29) 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering,[5] anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer (Ex 22:18; Le 18:21; Le 19:26; 2Ki 17:17) 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, (Le 19:31; 1Sa 28:7) 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. (De 9:4; De 22:5; De 25:16) 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this. 



15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— (Joh 1:21; Joh 1:25; Joh 1:45; Ac 3:22; Ac 7:37) 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ (Ex 20:19; De 9:10) 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. (De 5:28) 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (De 18:15; Jer 1:9; Jer 5:14; Joh 4:25; Joh 8:28; Joh 12:49; Joh 17:8) 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. (Jer 29:19; Jer 35:13; Ac 3:23) 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or[6] who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ (De 13:5) 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (De 13:1; De 18:20; Jer 28:9) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.