Deuteronomy 18 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Portion of the Levites

1 “The Levitical ^H3881 priests ^H3548, the whole ^H3605 tribe ^H7626 of Levi ^H3878, shall have ^H1961 no ^H3808 portion ^H2506 or inheritance ^H5159 with Israel ^H3478; they shall eat ^H398 of the offerings ^H801 to Yahweh ^H3068 by ^H801 fire ^H801 and of His inheritance ^H5159.

2 And they shall have ^H1961 no ^H3808 inheritance ^H5159 among ^H7130 their brothers ^H251; Yahweh ^H3068 is their inheritance ^H5159, as He [fn]promised ^H1696 them.

3 “Now this ^H2088 shall be the legal judgment ^H4941 for the priests ^H3548 taken from the people ^H5971, from those who offer ^H2076 a sacrifice ^H2077, either ^H518 an ox ^H7794 or ^H518 a sheep ^H7716: they shall give ^H5414 to the priest ^H3548 the shoulder ^H2220 and the two ^H3895 cheeks ^H3895 and the stomach ^H6896. 4 You shall give ^H5414 him the first ^H7225 fruits ^H7225 of your grain ^H1715, your new ^H8492 wine ^H8492 and your oil ^H3323 and the first ^H7225 shearing ^H1488 of your sheep ^H6629. 5 For Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 has chosen ^H977 him and his sons ^H1121 from all ^H3605 your tribes ^H7626, to stand ^H5975 to minister ^H8334 in the name ^H8034 of Yahweh ^H3068 all ^H3605 the days ^H3117.

6 “Now if ^H3588 a Levite ^H3881 comes ^H935 from any ^H259 of your gates ^H8179 of the towns throughout ^H4480 H3605 Israel ^H3478 where ^H834 H8033 he sojourns ^H1481 and comes ^H935 [fn]whenever ^H3605 he desires ^H185 to the place ^H4725 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 chooses ^H977, 7 then he shall minister ^H8334 in the name ^H8034 of Yahweh ^H3068 his God ^H430 like all ^H3605 his brothers ^H251 the Levites ^H3881 who stand ^H5975 there ^H8033 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068. 8 They shall eat ^H398 [fn]equal ^H2506 portions ^H2506, except ^H905 what they receive from the sale ^H4465 of their fathers’ ^H1 estates.

Do Not Imitate Abominations

9 “When ^H3588 you enter ^H935 the land ^H776 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 you, you shall not learn ^H3925 to [fn]imitate ^H6213 the abominations ^H8441 of those ^H1992 nations ^H1471.

10 There shall not be found ^H4672 among you anyone who makes his son ^H1121 or his daughter ^H1323 pass ^H5674 through the fire ^H784, one who uses ^H7080 divination ^H7081, one who practices ^H6049 soothsaying ^H6049 or one who interprets ^H5172 omens ^H5172 or a sorcerer ^H3784, 11 or one who is an enchanter ^H2266 or a medium ^H7592 H178 or a spiritist ^H3049 or one who inquires ^H1875 of the dead ^H4191. 12 For whoever ^H3605 does ^H6213 these ^H428 things ^H428 is an abomination ^H8441 to Yahweh ^H3068; and because ^H1558 of these ^H428 abominations ^H8441 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 will dispossess ^H3423 them from before ^H4480 H6440 you. 13 You shall be [fn]blameless ^H8549 before ^H5973 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430. 14 For those ^H428 nations ^H1471, which ^H834 you shall dispossess ^H3423, listen ^H8085 to those who practice ^H6049 soothsaying ^H6049 and to diviners ^H7080, but as for you, Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 has not allowed ^H5414 you to do so ^H3651.

Yahweh Will Raise Up a Prophet

15 “Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 will raise ^H6965 up ^H6965 for you a prophet ^H5030 like ^H3644 me from among ^H7130 you, from your brothers ^H251; you shall listen ^H8085 to him.

16 This is according to all ^H3605 that you asked ^H7592 of Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 in Horeb ^H2722 on the day ^H3117 of the assembly ^H6951, saying ^H559, ‘Let me not hear ^H8085 again ^H3254 the voice ^H6963 of Yahweh ^H3068 my God ^H430; let me not see ^H7200 this ^H2088 great ^H1419 fire ^H784 anymore ^H5750, or ^H3808 I will die ^H4191.’ 17 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to me, ‘They have [fn]spoken ^H1696 well ^H3190. 18 I will raise ^H6965 up ^H6965 a prophet ^H5030 from among ^H7130 their brothers ^H251 like ^H3644 you, and I will put ^H5414 My words ^H1697 in his mouth ^H6310, and he shall speak ^H1696 to them all ^H3605 that I command ^H6680 him. 19 And it will be ^H1961 that whoever ^H376 H834 will not listen ^H8085 to My words ^H1697 which ^H834 he shall speak ^H1696 in My name ^H8034, I Myself ^H595 will require ^H1875 it of him. 20 But the prophet ^H5030 who ^H834 speaks ^H1696 a word ^H1697 presumptuously ^H2102 in My name ^H8034 which ^H834 I have not commanded ^H6680 him to speak ^H1696, or which ^H834 he speaks ^H1696 in the name ^H8034 of other ^H312 gods ^H430, [fn]that prophet ^H5030 shall die ^H4191.’ 21 Now [fn]you may say ^H559 in your heart ^H3824, ‘How ^H351 will we know ^H3045 the word ^H1697 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 has not spoken ^H1696?’ 22 When ^H834 a prophet ^H5030 speaks ^H1696 in the name ^H8034 of Yahweh ^H3068, if the thing ^H1697 does not come ^H1961 about ^H1961 or come ^H935 true, that is the thing ^H1697 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 has not spoken ^H1696. The prophet ^H5030 has spoken ^H1696 it presumptuously ^H2087; you shall not be afraid ^H1481 of him.