Deuteronomy 18 - GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Laws for the Levites

18 The Levitical priests—in fact, the whole tribe of Levi—will receive no land or property of their own like the rest of the Israelites. They will eat what has been sacrificed to the Lord. These sacrifices will be what they receive.[a] 2 So the Levites will have no land of their own like the other Israelites. The Lord will be their inheritance, as he promised them.

3 This is what the people owe the priests whenever they sacrifice an ox, a sheep, or a goat: the shoulder, jaws, and stomach. 4 Also, give them the first produce harvested: grain, new wine, olive oil, and the first wool you shear from your sheep. 5 Out of all your tribes, the Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their descendants to do the work of serving in the name of the Lord forever.

6 A Levite from any of your cities in Israel may come from where he has been living to the place the Lord will choose. He may come as often as he wants 7 and may serve in the name of the Lord his God like all the other Levites who do their work in the Lord’s presence. 8 If he does, he’ll get the same amount of food as they do, in addition to what he gets from selling his family’s goods.

Laws about Prophets

9 When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, never learn the disgusting practices of those nations. 10 You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer, 11 cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead. 12 Whoever does these things is disgusting to the Lord. The Lord your God is forcing these nations out of your way because of their disgusting practices. 13 You must have integrity ⌞in dealing⌟ with the Lord your God. 14 These nations you are forcing out listen to fortunetellers and to those who practice black magic. But the Lord your God won’t let you do anything like that.

15 The Lord your God will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me. You must listen to him. 16 This is what you asked the Lord your God to give you on the day of the assembly at Mount Horeb. You said, “We never want to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this raging fire again. If we do, we’ll die!”

17 The Lord told me, “What they’ve said is good. 18 So I will send them a prophet, an Israelite like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 Whoever refuses to listen to the words that prophet speaks in my name will answer to me. 20 But any prophet who dares to say something in my name that I didn’t command him to say or who speaks in the name of other gods must die.”

21 You may be wondering, “How can we recognize that the Lord didn’t speak this message?” 22 If a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name and what he says doesn’t happen or come true, then it didn’t come from the Lord. That prophet has spoken on his own authority. Never be afraid of him.

Footnotes

  1. 18:1 Or “They are to eat the sacrifices offered by fire to the LORD or any of the other sacrifices to the LORD.”

You Might Also Like:

Deuteronomy 18 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

18 `There is not to the priests the Levites -- all the tribe of Levi -- a portion and inheritance with Israel; fire-offerings of Jehovah, even His inheritance, they eat, 2 and he hath no inheritance in the midst of his brethren; Jehovah Himself [is] his inheritance, as He hath spoken to him. 3 `And ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

18 Priests and deacons, and all men that be of the same lineage, shall have no part and heritage with the tother people of Israel, for they shall eat the sacrifices of the Lord, and the offerings of him; (The levitical priests, and all the men who be of the tribe of Levi, shall have no part or inher...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - World English Bible (WEB)

18 The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. Yahweh is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them. 3 This shall be...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - The Voice (VOICE)

18 Moses: The Levitical priests and the whole tribe of Levi will not have any inherited property within Israel. They will be supported by the sacrifices and other offerings that are burnt and set aside for the Eternal. 2 They won’t have any share in the land, as the other Israelites do, but the Ete...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

18 “The Levitical kohanim, all the tribe of Levi, are to have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the offerings made to Adonai by fire as His inheritance. [a] 2 They will have no inheritance among their brothers—Adonai is their inheritance, just as He promised them. 3 So this wil...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Privileges of Priests and Levites18 “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. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Privileges of Priests and Levites18 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[a] 2 but they shall have no inheritance among the other members of the community; the Lord is their inher...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Privileges of Priests and Levites18 “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no allotment or inheritance within Israel. They may eat the offerings by fire[a] that are the Lord’s portion,[b](A)2 but they shall have no inheritance among the other members of the community; the Lord i...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Gifts for the Priests and Levites18 “Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the Lord, for that is their share. 2 They wil...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New Life Version (NLV)

What the Religious Leaders and Levites Are to Receive18 “The Levite religious leaders of the family group of Levi will have no share of the land given to Israel. They will live on the gifts given to the Lord by fire. 2 They will have no share of the land among their brothers. The Lord is their shar...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Portion of the Priests and Levites18 “The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have [a]no part nor (A)inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. 2 Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their i...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Offerings for priests and Levites18 The Levitical priests – indeed, the whole tribe of Levi – are to have no land allotted to them or any inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New International Version (NIV)

Offerings for Priests and Levites18 The Levitical(A) priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings(B) presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance.(C) 2 They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Isra...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Offerings for Priests and Levites18 The priests, who are Levites, won’t receive any part of the land of Israel. That also applies to the whole tribe of Levi. They will eat the food offerings presented to the Lord. That will be their share. 2 They won’t have any part of the land the Lord gave the ot...
Read More

Deuteronomy 18 - New English Translation (NET)

Provision for Priests and Levites18 The Levitical priests[a]—indeed, the entire tribe of Levi—will have no allotment or inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of the Lord and of his inheritance.[b] 2 They[c] will have no inheritance in the midst of their fellow Israelites;[d] the...
Read More