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10 There shall not be found among you anyone (A)who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one (B)who practices soothsaying or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer, 11 or one who is an enchanter (C)or a medium or a spiritist or one who inquires of the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh; and (D)because of these abominations Yahweh your God will dispossess them from before you. 13 (E)You shall be [a]blameless before Yahweh your God. 14 For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who (F)practice soothsaying and to diviners, but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do so.

Yahweh Will Raise Up a Prophet

15 (G)Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers; you shall listen to him. 16 This is (H)according to all that you asked of Yahweh your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God; let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 (I)And Yahweh said to me, ‘They have [b]spoken well. 18 I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers like you, and (J)I will put My words in his mouth, and (K)he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 (L)And it will be that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who speaks a word (M)presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or (N)which he speaks in the name of other gods, [c]that prophet shall die.’ 21 Now [d]you may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?’ 22 (O)When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it (P)presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:13 Or having integrity; lit complete, perfect
  2. Deuteronomy 18:17 Lit done well what they have spoken
  3. Deuteronomy 18:20 Lit and that
  4. Deuteronomy 18:21 Lit if you say

10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,(A) who practices divination(B) or sorcery,(C) interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,(D) 11 or casts spells,(E) or who is a medium or spiritist(F) or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.(G) 13 You must be blameless(H) before the Lord your God.(I)

The Prophet

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.(J) But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. 15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.(K) You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”(L)

17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet(M) like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words(N) in his mouth.(O) He will tell them everything I command him.(P) 19 I myself will call to account(Q) anyone who does not listen(R) to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.(S) 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods,(T) is to be put to death.”(U)

21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true,(V) that is a message the Lord has not spoken.(W) That prophet has spoken presumptuously,(X) so do not be alarmed.

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