1 ¶ The priests the Levites and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part nor shall they inherit with Israel; they shall eat of the offerings on fire unto the LORD and of 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 T herefore, shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he has said 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 right of the priest from the people, from those that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; 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 firstfruits also of thy grain, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstfruits 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 the LORD thy God has chosen him out of all thy tribes to stand to minister unto the name of the LORD, him and his sons all the days.

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 when a Levite comes from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and comes with all the desire of his soul unto the place which the LORD 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 unto the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do who stand there before the LORD.

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 comes 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 ¶ When thou shall have come into the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those Gentiles.

“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 among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that uses divination or an observer of times or an enchanter or a witch

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 spiritist or a diviner 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 anyone that does these things is an abomination unto the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD thy God drove 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 the LORD thy God.

You must be without blame before the Lord your God.

14 F or these Gentiles, whom thou shalt inherit, hearkened unto observers of times and unto diviners, but as for thee, the LORD thy God has not allowed thee to do so.

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 ¶ 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,

“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 didst desire 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, lest I die.

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 the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken 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 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 whoever 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 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.

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 thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?

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

22 W hen a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not follow nor come to pass, it is a word which the LORD has not spoken, but the prophet has 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.