1-2 The Levitical priests—that’s the entire tribe of Levi—don’t get any land-inheritance with the rest of Israel. They get the Fire-Gift-Offerings ofGod—they will live on that inheritance. But they don’t get land-inheritance like the rest of their kinsmen.Godis their inheritance.
3-5 This is what the priests get from the people from any offering of an ox or a sheep: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach. You must also give them the firstfruits of your grain, wine, and oil and the first fleece of your sheep, becauseGod, your God, has chosen only them and their children out of all your tribes to be present and serve always in the name ofGod, your God.
6-8 If a Levite moves from any town in Israel—and he is quite free to move wherever he desires—and comes to the placeGoddesignates for worship, he may serve there in the name ofGodalong with all his brother Levites who are present and serving in the Presence ofGod. And he will get an equal share to eat, even though he has money from the sale of his parents’ possessions.
9-12 When you enter the land thatGod, your God, is giving you, don’t take on the abominable ways of life of the nations there. Don’t you dare sacrifice your son or daughter in the fire. Don’t practice divination, sorcery, fortunetelling, witchery, casting spells, holding séances, or channeling with the dead. People who do these things are an abomination toGod. It’s because of just such abominable practices thatGod, your God, is driving these nations out before you.
13-14 Be completely loyal toGod, your God. These nations that you’re about to run out of the country consort with sorcerers and witches. But not you.God, your God, forbids it.
15-16 God, your God, is going to raise up a prophet for you.Godwill raise him up from among your kinsmen, a prophet like me. Listen obediently to him. This is what you askedGod, your God, for at Horeb on the day you were all gathered at the mountain and said, “We can’t hear any more fromGod, our God; we can’t stand seeing any more fire. We’ll die!”
17-19 AndGodsaid to me, “They’re right; they’ve spoken the truth. I’ll raise up for them a prophet like you from their kinsmen. I’ll tell him what to say and he will pass on to them everything I command him. And anyone who won’t listen to my words spoken by him, I will personally hold responsible.
20 “But any prophet who fakes it, who claims to speak in my name something I haven’t commanded him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.”
21-22 You may be wondering among yourselves, “How can we tell the difference, whether it wasGodwho spoke or not?” Here’s how: If what the prophet spoke inGod’s name doesn’t happen, then obviouslyGodwasn’t behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him.
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/DEU/18-15377ffd47d2f11adcfbd770a8dc1272.mp3?version_id=97—