The Bible

Deuteronomy Chapter 18

¹The priests and the Levites, the whole tribe of Levi, are to have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They will eat Yahweh's offerings made by fire and his portion. ²They are to have no inheritance among their brothers. Yahweh is their inheritance, as he has told them. ³This will be the priests' due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox or a sheep, they are to give the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach to the priest. ⁴Give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first of the fleece from your sheep. ⁵For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in Yahweh's name, him and his sons forever.

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

⁹When you have entered the land which Yahweh your God is giving you, you must not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰No one must be found with you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or who uses divination, or who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, ¹¹or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. ¹²For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you. ¹³You are to be blameless with Yahweh your God. ¹⁴For these nations that you dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do so. ¹⁵Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, from your brothers, [just] like me. Listen to him. ¹⁶This is exactly as you desired from Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, "Don't let me hear Yahweh my God's voice again, or let me see this great fire any more, so that I don't die."

¹⁷Yahweh said to me, "They have well said what they have spoken. ¹⁸I will raise up a prophet for them from among their brothers, [just] like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. ¹⁹Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I [myself] will call [them to account]. ²⁰But 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 must die."

²¹You may say in your heart, "How can we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?" ²²When a prophet speaks in Yahweh's name, if the thing doesn't follow, or happen, it is something which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Don't be afraid of him.