18 3 The portion of the Levites. 6 Of the Levites coming from another place. 9 To avoid the abominations of the Gentiles. 15 God will not leave them without a true Prophet.
1 The Priests of the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi (A)shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel, (B)but shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his [a]inheritance.
2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: for the Lord is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
3 ¶ And this shall be the Priest’s duty of the people, that they which offer sacrifice, whether it be bullock or sheep, shall give unto the Priest the [b]shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
4 The firstfruits also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep shalt thou give him.
5 For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand and minister in the Name of the Lord, him, and his sons forever.
6 ¶ Also when a Levite shall come out of any of thy cities of all Israel, where he remained, and come with [c]all the desire of his heart unto the place, which the Lord shall choose,
7 He shall then minister in the Name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites, which remain there before the Lord.
8 They shall have like portions to eat [d]beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.
9 When thou shalt come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 Let none be found among you that maketh his son or his daughter to [e](C)go thorough the fire, or that useth witchcraft, or a regarder of times, or a marker of the flying of fowls, or a sorcerer,
11 Or (D)a charmer, or that counseleth with spirits, or a soothsayer, or that (E)asketh counsel at the dead.
12 For all that do such things are abomination unto the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee.
13 Thou shalt be [f]upright therefore with the Lord thy God.
14 For these nations which thou shalt possess, hearken unto those that regard the times, and unto sorcerers: [g]as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not [h]suffered thee so.
15 ¶ (F)The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a [i]Prophet like unto me, from among you, even of thy brethren: unto him ye shall hearken.
16 According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, when thou saidest, (G)Let me hear the voice of my Lord God no more, nor see this great fire anymore, that I die not.
17 And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken.
18 (H)I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put my words in his [j]mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my Name, I will [k]require it of him.
20 But the Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that speaketh in the name of other gods, even the same Prophet shall die.
21 And if thou think in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
22 When a Prophet speaketh in the Name of the Lord, if the thing [l]follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not therefore be afraid of him.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 18:1 That is, the Lord’s part of his inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 18:3 The right shoulder, Num. 28:18.
- Deuteronomy 18:6 Meaning, to serve God unfainedly, and not to seek ease.
- Deuteronomy 18:8 Not constrained to live of himself.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 Signifying they were purged by this ceremony of passing between two fires.
- Deuteronomy 18:13 Without hypocrisy or mixture or false religion.
- Deuteronomy 18:14 Hebrew, but thou not so.
- Deuteronomy 18:14 Hebrew, given or appointed.
- Deuteronomy 18:15 Meaning, a continual succession of Prophets, till Christ the end of all Prophets come.
- Deuteronomy 18:18 Which promise is not only made to Christ, but to all that teach in his name, Isa. 59:21.
- Deuteronomy 18:19 By executing punishment upon him.
- Deuteronomy 18:22 Under this sure note he compriseth all the other tokens.