Deuteronomy 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 'The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi wil be without share or heritage of their own in Israel; theywil live on the foods offered to Yahweh and on his heritage.	1 "The whole priestly tribe of Levi shall have no share in the heritage with Israel; they shall live on the oblations of the LORD and the portions due to him.
2 Levi wil have no heritage of his own among his brothers; Yahweh will be his heritage, as he haspromised him.	2 Levi shall have no heritage among his brothers; the LORD himself is his heritage, as he has told him.
3 'This is what is due to the priests from the people, from those who offer an ox or a sheep in sacrifice:the priest must be given the shoulder, the cheeks and the stomach.	3 The priests shall have a right to the following things from the people: from those who are offering a sacrifice, whether the victim is from the herd or from the flock, the priest shall receive the shoulder, the jowls and the stomach.
4 You must give him the first-fruits of your wheat, of your new wine and of your oil, as wel as the first-fruits of your sheep-shearing.	4 You shall also give him the first fruits of your grain and wine and oil, as well as the first fruits of the shearing of your flock;
5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him from all your tribes to stand before Yahweh your God, to do theduties of the sacred ministry, and to bless in Yahweh's name -- him and his sons for al time.	5 for the LORD, your God, has chosen him and his sons out of all your tribes to be always in attendance to minister in the name of the LORD.
6 'If a Levite living in one of your towns anywhere in Israel decides to move to the place chosen byYahweh,	6 "When a Levite goes from one of your communities anywhere in Israel in which he ordinarily resides, to visit, as his heart may desire, the place which the LORD chooses,
7 he shal minister there in the name of Yahweh his God like al his fel ow Levites who stand ministering there in the presence of Yahweh,	7 he may minister there in the name of the LORD, his God, like all his fellow Levites who are in attendance there before the LORD.
8 eating equal shares with them -- what he has from the sale of his patrimony notwithstanding.	8 He shall then receive the same portions to eat as the rest, along with his monetary offerings and heirlooms.
9 'When you have entered the country given you by Yahweh your God, you must not learn to imitate thedetestable practices of the nations there already.	9 "When you come into the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of the peoples there.
10 There must never be anyone among you who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire ofsacrifice, who practises divination, who is soothsayer, augur or sorcerer,	10 Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner,
11 weaver of spells, consulter of ghosts or mediums, or necromancer.	11 or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead.
12 For anyone who does these things is detestable to Yahweh your God; it is because of thesedetestable practices that Yahweh your God is driving out these nations before you.	12 Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the LORD, and because of such abominations the LORD, your God, is driving these nations out of your way.
13 'You must be faultless in your relationship with Yahweh your God.	13 You, however, must be altogether sincere toward the LORD, your God.
14 For these nations whom you are going to dispossess have listened to soothsayers and mediums, butYahweh your God does not permit you to do this. From among yourselves, from among your own brothers,	14 Though these nations whom you are to dispossess listen to their soothsayers and fortune-tellers, the LORD, your God, will not permit you to do so.
15 Yahweh your God will raise up a prophet like me; you wil listen to him.	15 "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen.
16 This is exactly what you asked Yahweh your God to do -- at Horeb, on the day of the Assembly,when you said, "Never let me hear the voice of Yahweh my God or see this great fire again, or I shal die."	16 This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.'
17 Then Yahweh said to me,	17 And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said.
18 "What they have said is wel said. From their own brothers I shal raise up a prophet like yourself;	18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.
19 I shal put my words into his mouth and he wil tel them everything I command him. Anyone whorefuses to listen to my words, spoken by him in my name, wil have to render an account to me.	19 If any man will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it.
20 But the prophet who presumes to say something in my name which I have not commanded him tosay, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die."	20 But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'
21 'You may be privately wondering, "How are we to tel that a prophecy does not come from Yahweh?"	21 "If you say to yourselves, 'How can we recognize an oracle which the LORD has spoken?',
22 When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh and the thing does not happen and the word is notfulfil ed, then it has not been said by Yahweh. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. You have nothing tofear from him.'	22 know that, even though a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if his oracle is not fulfilled or verified, it is an oracle which the LORD did not speak. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously, and you shall have no fear of him.