18:1 "The Levitical priests, that is, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings by fire to the LORD, and his rightful dues.
18:1 The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no allotment or inheritance within Israel. They may eat the sacrifices that are the LORD's portion

18:2 They shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them.
18:2 but they shall have no inheritance among the other members of the community; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them.

18:3 And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach.
18:3 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, the two jowls, and the stomach.

18:4 The first fruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
18:4 The first fruits of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.

18:5 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 ever.
18:5 For the LORD your God has chosen Levi out of all your tribes, to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time.

18:6 "And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives -- and he may come when he desires -- to the place which the LORD will choose,
18:6 If a Levite leaves any of your towns, from wherever he has been residing in Israel, and comes to the place that the LORD will choose (and he may come whenever he wishes),

18:7 then he may minister in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow-Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD.
18:7 then he may minister in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow-Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD.

18:8 They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.
18:8 They shall have equal portions to eat, even though they have income from the sale of family possessions.

18:9 "When you come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations.
18:9 When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you must not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations.

18:10 There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer,
18:10 No one shall be found among you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer,

18:11 or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
18:11 or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead.

18:12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD; and because of these abominable practices the LORD your God is driving them out before you.
18:12 For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the LORD; it is because of such abhorrent practices that the LORD your God is driving them out before you.

18:13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.
18:13 You must remain completely loyal to the LORD your God.

18:14 For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, give heed to soothsayers and to diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so to do.
18:14 Although these nations that you are about to dispossess do give heed to soothsayers and diviners, as for you, the LORD your God does not permit you to do so.

18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren -- him you shall heed --
18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.

18:16 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.'
18:16 This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die."

18:17 And the LORD said to me, `They have rightly said all that they have spoken.
18:17 Then the LORD replied to me: "They are right in what they have said.

18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.

18:19 And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
18:19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable.

18:20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word 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.'
18:20 But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak--that prophet shall die."

18:21 And if you say in your heart, `How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' --
18:21 You may say to yourself, "How can we recognize a word that the LORD has not spoken?"

18:22 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 which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.
18:22 If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.