The Levites’ portion
1The Levitical priests — the whole tribe of Levi — are to have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings of Yahweh, which are his inheritance. 2They are to have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh himself is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3This is the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether ox or sheep: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach are to be given to the priest. 4You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your flock, 5for Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons, forever. 6If a Levite comes from any of your gates, from wherever in Israel he resides, and comes whenever he wishes to the place Yahweh chooses, 7he may minister in the name of Yahweh his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before Yahweh. 8He is to share equally in their portions, besides what he may have received from the sale of his family property.
Detestable practices of the nations
9When you enter the land Yahweh your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable practices of those nations. 10Let no one be found among you who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, who practices divination, tells fortunes, interprets omens, or practices sorcery, 11or casts spells, or consults a medium or a spiritist, or inquires of the dead. 12Anyone who does these things is detestable to Yahweh, and it is because of these detestable practices that Yahweh your God is driving out these nations before you. 13You are to be blameless before Yahweh your God. 14The nations you are dispossessing listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, but Yahweh your God has not permitted this for you.
A prophet like Moses
15Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your own brothers; you are to listen to him. 16This is just what you asked of Yahweh your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of Yahweh our God again, or see this great fire any longer, or we will die.” 17Yahweh said to me, “They have spoken well. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them everything I command him. 19Whoever does not listen to my words, which he speaks in my name, I myself will call to account. 20But any prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet is to die.” 21You may say to yourself, “How can we know when a word has not been spoken by Yahweh?” 22If what a prophet proclaims in the name of Yahweh does not take place or come true, that is a word Yahweh has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously; do not be afraid of him.
