1 T he priests the Levites, even all 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.

“The Levite religious leaders of the family group of Levi will have no share of the land given to Israel. They will live on the gifts given to the Lord by fire.

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

They will have no share of the land among their brothers. The Lord is their share, as He promised them.

3 A nd 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.

“When the people bring their gifts, a bull or a sheep, the religious leader is to be given the shoulder, the parts of the face, and the stomach.

4 T he 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.

Give him the first of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the first wool of your sheep.

5 F or 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.

For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your families, to stand and serve in the name of the Lord forever.

6 A nd 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;

“If a Levite comes whenever he desires from any of the towns in Israel to the place the Lord chooses,

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

then he may work in the name of the Lord his God, like all his brother Levites who stand there before the Lord.

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

They will all eat the same share of food, except what they receive from what is sold of their fathers’ lands. Stay Away from What Is Sinful

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

“When you go into the land the Lord your God gives you, do not learn to follow the hated and sinful ways of those nations.

10 T here 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,

There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or uses secret ways, or does witchcraft, or tells the meaning of special things, or is a witch,

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

or uses secret power on people, or helps people talk to spirits, or talks to spirits himself, or talks with the dead.

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

For the Lord hates whoever does these things. And because of these hated things, the Lord your God will drive them out from in front of you.

13 T hou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.

You must be without blame before the Lord your God.

14 F or 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.

For these nations that you are about to take listen to those who do witchcraft and use secret ways. But the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so. A Man Who Speaks for God

15 J ehovah 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;

“The Lord your God will give you a man who speaks for God like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.

16 a ccording 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.

This is what you asked of the Lord your God at Sinai on the day of the meeting, when you said, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of the Lord my God again. Do not let me see this fire any more, or I will die.’

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

And the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well.

18 I 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.

I will give them a man who speaks for God like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth. And he will make known to them all that I tell him.

19 A nd 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.

He will speak in My name. And I will punish whoever will not listen to him.

20 B ut 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.

But that man of God will die who is not careful and speaks in My name what I did not tell him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods.’

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

You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know which words the Lord has not spoken?’

22 w hen 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.

When a man who speaks for God speaks in the name of the Lord, and what he says does not come true, that word is not from the Lord. The man has spoken on his own. Do not be afraid of him.