Deuteronomy 18

1The Levitical priests—the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no share or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat Yahweh’s fire offerings and his inheritance.

2They are to have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as he told them.

3This is what the priests are due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they are to give the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach.

4You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, your new wine, and your olive oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.

5For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and serve in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons, for all time.

6If a Levite comes from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes with all his heart’s desire to the place that Yahweh chooses,

7he may serve in the name of Yahweh his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before Yahweh.

8They are to eat equal shares, apart from what he receives from the sale of his family property.

9When you enter the land that Yahweh your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable practices of those nations.

10There must not be anyone among you who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, who practices divination, tells fortunes, interprets omens, or practices sorcery,

11or who casts spells, consults a medium or a spiritist, or inquires of the dead.

12For everyone who does these things is detestable to Yahweh, and because of these detestable practices Yahweh your God is driving those nations out before you.

13You must be blameless before Yahweh your God.

14These nations that you are about to dispossess listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, but as for you, Yahweh your God has not permitted you to do so.

15Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your own brothers. You must listen to him.

16This is just what you asked of Yahweh your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of Yahweh my God again or see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’

17Then Yahweh said to me, ‘What they have said is good.

18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

19If anyone does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, I myself will call that person to account.

20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’

21You may say in your heart, ‘How can we recognize a word that Yahweh has not spoken?’

22When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh and the thing does not happen or come true, that is a word Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.