1The Levitical priests – indeed, the whole tribe of Levi – are to have no land allotted to them or any inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance.2They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.3This is the share due to the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head.4You are to give them the firstfruits of your corn, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep,5for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always.6If 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,7he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord.8He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.
Occult practices
9When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.10Let no-one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practises divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,11or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.12Anyone 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.13You must be blameless before the Lord your God.
The prophet
14The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practise sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.15The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.16For 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.’17The Lord said to me: ‘What they say is good.18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.19I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.20But 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, is to be put to death.’21You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’22If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
1The priests, who are Levites, won’t receive any part of the land of Israel. That also applies to the whole tribe of Levi. They will eat the food offerings presented to the LORD. That will be their share.2They won’t have any part of the land the LORD gave the other tribes in Israel. The LORD himself is their share, just as he promised them.3Anyone who sacrifices a bull or a sheep owes a share of it to the priests. Their share is the shoulder, the inside parts and the meat from the head.4You must give the priests the first share of the harvest of your corn, olive oil and fresh wine. You must also give them the first wool you clip from your sheep.5The LORD your God has chosen the Levites and their sons after them to serve him in his name always. He hasn’t chosen priests from any of your other tribes.6Sometimes a Levite will move from the town in Israel where he’s living. And he will come to the place the LORD will choose. He’ll do it because he really wants to.7Then he can serve in the name of the LORD his God. He’ll be like all the other Levites who serve the LORD there.8He must have an equal share of the good things they have. That applies even if he has already received money by selling things his family owned.
Practices the Lord hates
9You will enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you do, don’t copy the practices of the nations there. The LORD hates those practices.10Here are things you must not do. Don’t sacrifice your children in the fire to other gods. Don’t practise any kind of evil magic at all. Don’t use magic to try to explain the meaning of warnings in the sky or of any other signs. Don’t take part in worshipping evil powers.11Don’t put a spell on anyone. Don’t get messages from those who have died. Don’t talk to the spirits of the dead. Don’t get advice from the dead.12The LORD your God hates it when anyone does these things. The nations in the land he’s giving you do these things he hates. So he will drive out those nations to make room for you.13You must be without blame in the sight of the LORD your God.
The prophet of the Lord
14You will take over the nations that are in the land the LORD is giving you. They listen to those who practise all kinds of evil magic. But you belong to the LORD your God. He says you must not do these things.15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must listen to him.16At Mount Horeb you asked the LORD your God for a prophet. You asked him on the day you gathered together. You said, ‘We don’t want to hear the voice of the LORD our God. We don’t want to see this great fire anymore. If we do, we’ll die.’17The LORD said to me, ‘What they are saying is good.18I will raise up for them a prophet like you. He will be one of their own people. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him to say.19The prophet will speak in my name. But someone might not listen to what I say through the prophet. I will hold that person responsible for not listening.20But suppose a prophet dares to speak in my name something I have not commanded. Or he speaks in the name of other gods. Then that prophet must be put to death.’21You will say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message hasn’t been spoken by the LORD?’22Sometimes a prophet will announce something in the name of the LORD. And it won’t take place or come true. Then that’s a message the LORD hasn’t told him to speak. That prophet has dared to speak on his own authority. So don’t be afraid of what he says.
1Die Priester, die Leviten, der ganze Stamm Levi, sollen keinen Anteil noch ein Erbe mit Israel haben. Die Feueropfer des HERRN und sein Erbteil[1] sollen sie essen. (Nu 18:8; De 10:9; 1Co 9:13)2Aber ein Erbteil inmitten seiner Brüder soll er nicht haben. Der HERR selbst ist sein Erbteil, so wie er zu ihm geredet hat. – (Nu 18:20; De 10:9; Eze 44:28)3Das aber ist der Rechtsanspruch der Priester an das Volk, an die, die ein Schlachtopfer opfern, es sei Rind oder Schaf: Man soll dem Priester die Vorderkeule geben und die Kinnbacken und den Magen. (Ex 29:27; Le 7:30)4Die Erstlinge deines Getreides, deines Mostes und deines Öles und die Erstlinge von der Schur deiner Schafe sollst du ihm geben. (Nu 18:12)5Denn ihn hat der HERR, dein Gott, aus allen deinen Stämmen erwählt, damit er dasteht, um den Dienst im Namen des HERRN zu verrichten, er und seine Söhne, alle Tage. – (Ex 28:1; Nu 3:10; De 10:8; De 17:12)6Und wenn der Levit aus einem deiner Tore kommen wird, aus ganz Israel, wo er sich als Fremder aufhält, dann mag er nach Herzenslust[2] an die Stätte kommen, die der HERR erwählen wird, (Nu 35:2; De 12:5)7und im Namen des HERRN, seines Gottes, den Dienst verrichten wie alle seine Brüder, die Leviten, die dort vor dem HERRN stehen. (1Ch 23:32)8Zu gleichen Teilen sollen sie ⟨davon⟩ essen; ⟨davon⟩ ausgenommen ist, was er aufgrund von Familien⟨besitz⟩ verkauft hat. (Ne 12:47)
Warnung vor Zauberern und Wahrsagern
9Wenn du in das Land kommst, das der HERR, dein Gott, dir gibt, dann sollst du nicht lernen, es den Gräueln dieser Nationen gleichzutun. (De 12:30; De 20:18; 2Ki 17:8; 2Ch 36:14; Jer 10:2; Ro 12:2)10Es soll unter dir niemand gefunden werden, der seinen Sohn oder seine Tochter durchs Feuer gehen lässt, keiner, der Wahrsagerei treibt, kein Zauberer oder Beschwörer oder Magier (Ex 22:17; De 12:31; 2Ki 17:15; 2Ch 28:3; 2Ch 33:6; Jer 7:31; Jer 27:9; Ac 16:16)11oder Bannsprecher oder Totenbeschwörer oder Wahrsager oder der die Toten befragt. (Le 19:26; Le 20:6; Isa 8:19)12Denn ein Gräuel für den HERRN ist jeder, der diese Dinge tut. Und um dieser Gräuel willen treibt der HERR, dein Gott, sie vor dir aus. (De 9:4; De 22:5; 2Ki 23:24)13Du sollst dich ungeteilt an den HERRN, deinen Gott, halten[3]. (Mt 5:48)14Denn diese Nationen, die du austreiben wirst, hören auf Zauberer und auf Wahrsager. Du aber – so etwas hat der HERR, dein Gott, dir nicht gestattet! (Isa 2:6; Eph 5:11)
Wahre und falsche Propheten
15Einen Propheten wie mich wird dir der HERR, dein Gott, aus deiner Mitte, aus deinen Brüdern, erstehen lassen. Auf ihn sollt ihr hören (Nu 12:6; De 34:10; Ho 12:14; Mt 17:5; Joh 1:21; Joh 5:46)16nach allem, was du vom HERRN, deinem Gott, am Horeb erbeten hast am Tag der Versammlung, indem du sagtest: Ich möchte die Stimme des HERRN, meines Gottes, nicht länger hören, und dieses große Feuer möchte ich nicht mehr sehen, damit ich nicht sterbe! (De 1:6; De 5:25; Jer 1:9)17Da sprach der HERR zu mir: Sie haben recht getan ⟨mit dem⟩, was sie geredet haben. (De 5:25; Jer 1:9)18Einen Propheten wie dich will ich ihnen aus der Mitte ihrer Brüder erstehen lassen. Ich will meine Worte in seinen Mund legen, und er wird zu ihnen alles reden, was ich ihm befehlen werde. (Ex 4:12; Nu 12:6; Nu 23:5; De 34:10; Isa 50:4; Isa 51:16; Ho 12:14; Joh 1:21)19Und es wird geschehen, der Mann, der nicht auf meine Worte hört, die er[4] in meinem Namen reden wird, von dem werde ich Rechenschaft fordern. – (Jos 22:23; Ac 3:22)20Doch der Prophet, der sich vermessen sollte, in meinem Namen ein Wort zu reden, das ich ihm nicht befohlen habe zu reden, oder der im Namen anderer Götter reden wird: dieser Prophet muss sterben. (De 13:1; Jer 14:14; Jer 23:31; Jer 28:15; Zec 13:3)21Und wenn du in deinem Herzen sagst: »Wie sollen wir das Wort erkennen, das nicht der HERR geredet hat?«, (Jer 28:9)22wenn der Prophet im Namen des HERRN redet, und das Wort geschieht nicht und trifft nicht ein, so ist das das Wort, das nicht der HERR geredet hat. In Vermessenheit hat der Prophet es geredet; du brauchst dich nicht vor ihm zu fürchten. (1Sa 3:19; 1Ki 22:28; Zec 2:13)