Deuteronomy 18

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.

1The priests from the family of Levi will not get land like the other families of Israel. They eat food from the gifts people burn for the LORD. That is their share.

2Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

2They get no land like their brothers. The LORD himself is their share, just as he promised them.

3And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

3When people bring an ox or a sheep as a gift, part of it goes to the priest. He gets the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach.

NoteThe old word "maw" means the animal's stomach. The shoulder, cheeks, and stomach were the parts set aside for the priest.

4The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

4Give the priest the first of your grain, your wine, and your oil. Give him the first wool cut from your sheep too.

5For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

5The LORD chose Levi out of all your families. He and his sons will serve and speak for the LORD always.

6And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

6A man from Levi may be living in any town in Israel. He may really want to come to the special place the LORD picks.

7Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.

7Then he may serve the LORD his God there. He serves just like the other men of Levi who stand there.

8They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

8He gets the same share of food as they do. That is true even if he sold family land and has money.

9When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

9You are going into the land the LORD your God is giving you. Do not learn to do the hateful things those nations do.

10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

10No one among you may put his son or daughter into the fire for a god. No one may tell the future, read signs, or use magic.

Note"Pass through the fire" means giving a child as a burnt gift to a god.

11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

11No one may cast spells. No one may ask spirits or dead people for answers.

12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

12The LORD hates it when people do these things. That is why he is pushing those nations out ahead of you.

13Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

13You must belong to the LORD your God with your whole heart, holding nothing back.

Note"Perfect" in 1611 English meant whole or blameless. It does not mean never making a mistake.

14For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

14The nations you will take over listen to fortune tellers and people who read signs. But the LORD your God has not allowed you to do that.

Note"Suffered" in 1611 English means allowed.

15The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

15The LORD your God will send you a prophet like me, from among your own people. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. Listen to him.

16According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

16This is what you asked for at Mount Horeb, on the day you all gathered. You said, "We do not want to hear the LORD's voice again. We do not want to see this big fire again. We are afraid we will die."

17And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

17Then the LORD said to me, "What they said is good."

18I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

18"I will send them a prophet like you, from their own people. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him."

19And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

19"Some people will not listen to my words when that prophet speaks them for me. I will hold those people responsible."

20But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

20"But a prophet may dare to say words in my name that I never gave him. Or he may speak for other gods. That prophet must be put to death."

21And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

21You may wonder inside yourself, "How can we tell when a message did not come from the LORD?"

22When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing 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 be afraid of him.

22A prophet may speak in the LORD's name, and what he says never happens. Then the LORD did not say it. The prophet made it up himself. Do not be afraid of him.