Deuteronomy 18

Priestly Provisions Deuteronomy 18:3–5

³Verse 3. This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts. ⁴Verse 4. The first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. ⁵Verse 5. For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to minister in Yahweh’s name, him and his sons for ever.

Foreign Levites Accepted Deuteronomy 18:6–8

⁶Verse 6. If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives as a foreigner, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Yahweh shall choose; ⁷Verse 7. then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh. ⁸Verse 8. They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions.

Rejection of Pagan Practices Deuteronomy 18:9–14

⁹Verse 9. When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰Verse 10. There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, ¹¹Verse 11. or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. ¹²Verse 12. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you. ¹³Verse 13. You shall be perfect with Yahweh your God.

¹⁴Verse 14. For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you so to do.

The Coming Prophet Deuteronomy 18:15–19

¹⁵Verse 15. Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him. ¹⁶Verse 16. This is according to all that you desired of Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again Yahweh my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.” ¹⁷Verse 17. Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken. ¹⁸Verse 18. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

¹⁹Verse 19. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Warnings Against False Prophets Deuteronomy 18:20–22

²⁰Verse 20. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.” ²¹Verse 21. You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?” ²²Verse 22. When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.