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Deuteronomy 18
Expanded Bible
Deuteronomy 18
Expanded Bible
Shares for Priests and Levites
18 The priests are from the tribe of Levi, and that tribe will not ·receive a share of the land [L have an allotment or inheritance] with the Israelites. They will eat the offerings made to the Lord by fire, which is their ·share [L inheritance]. 2 They will not inherit any of the land like their brothers [Num. 26:62; Josh. 13:14; 14:4–5; 21], but they will inherit the Lord himself [10:9; Ex. 32:25–29; Josh. 18:7], as he has promised them.
3 When you offer a bull or sheep as a sacrifice, you must share with the priests, giving them the shoulder, the ·cheeks [jowls], and the ·inner organs [stomach]. 4 Give them the first of your grain, new wine, and oil, as well as the first wool you cut from your sheep. 5 The Lord your God has chosen the priests and their ·descendants [sons] out of all your tribes to stand and serve ·the [L in the name of the] Lord ·always [L all their days; 33:8–11].
6 If a Levite moves from one of your ·towns [L gates] anywhere in Israel where he ·lives [resides; sojourns] and comes to the place the Lord will choose [12:4–7], because ·he wants [L his soul desires] to serve the Lord there, 7 he may serve ·the [L the name of the] Lord his God. He will be like his ·fellow [L brother] Levites who ·serve [L stand] there before the Lord. 8 They all will have an equal share of the food. That is separate from what he has received from the sale of family possessions.
Do Not Follow Other Nations
9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, don’t learn to do the ·hateful [detestable; abhorrent; abominable] things the other nations do. 10 Don’t let anyone among you offer a son or daughter as a sacrifice in the fire [12:30–31]. Don’t let anyone use ·magic [divination; Ex. 7:11; Ezek. 21:21] or witchcraft, or ·try to explain the meaning of signs [augury or sorcery]. 11 Don’t let anyone ·try to control others with magic [cast spells], and don’t let them ·be mediums [consult/inquire of ghosts or spirits] or try to ·talk with the spirits of [consult] dead people [1 Sam. 28]. 12 The Lord ·hates [detests] anyone who does these things. Because the other nations do these things, the Lord your God will ·force [dispossess] them out of the land ahead of you. 13 But you must be ·innocent [blameless] in the presence of the Lord your God.
The Lord’s Special Prophet
14 The nations you will ·force out [dispossess] listen to people who use ·magic [divination] and witchcraft, but the Lord your God will not let you do those things. 15 The Lord your God will ·give [L raise up for] you a prophet like me, who is one of your own ·people [relatives; brothers; C ultimately Jesus]. Listen to him [Acts 3:25–26; 7:37]. 16 This is what you asked the Lord your God to do when you were ·gathered [assembled] at ·Mount Sinai [Horeb; 1:6]. You said, “Don’t make ·us [L me] listen to the voice of the Lord ·our [L my] God again, and don’t make ·us [L me] look at this ·terrible [great] fire anymore, or ·we [L I] will die [5:23–27].”
17 So the Lord said to me, “What they have said is good. 18 So I will ·give [L raise up for] them a prophet like you, who is one of their own ·people [relatives; brothers]. I will ·tell him what to say [L put my words in his mouth], and he will tell them everything I command. 19 This prophet will speak for me; anyone who does not listen when he speaks in my name will ·answer [be accountable] to me. 20 But if a prophet ·says something I did not tell him to say as though he were speaking for me [L speaks presumptuously in my name a word I did not command him to speak], or if a prophet speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must be killed [Jer. 28:15–17].”
21 You might be ·thinking [L saying in your heart/mind], “How can we know if a message is not from the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet says in the name of the Lord does not happen, it is not the Lord’s message. That prophet was speaking ·his own ideas [presumptuously]. Don’t be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 18
New International Version
Deuteronomy 18
New International Version
Offerings for Priests and Levites
18 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 Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance,(D) as he promised them.(E)
3 This is the share due the priests(F) from the people who sacrifice a bull(G) or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head.(H) 4 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep,(I) 5 for the Lord your God has chosen them(J) and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister(K) in the Lord’s name always.(L)
6 If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose,(M) 7 he may minister in the name(N) of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. 8 He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.(O)
Occult Practices
9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate(P) the detestable ways(Q) of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,(R) who practices divination(S) or sorcery,(T) interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,(U) 11 or casts spells,(V) or who is a medium or spiritist(W) 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.(X) 13 You must be blameless(Y) before the Lord your God.(Z)
The Prophet
14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.(AA) 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.(AB) 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.”(AC)
17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet(AD) like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words(AE) in his mouth.(AF) He will tell them everything I command him.(AG) 19 I myself will call to account(AH) anyone who does not listen(AI) to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.(AJ) 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,(AK) is to be put to death.”(AL)
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,(AM) that is a message the Lord has not spoken.(AN) That prophet has spoken presumptuously,(AO) so do not be alarmed.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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