The Lord is the inheritance of the priests and Levites. Heathenish
abominations are to be avoided. The great PROPHET CHRIST is promised.
False prophets must be slain.
18:1. The priests and Levites, and all that are of the same tribe, shall
have no part nor inheritance with the rest of Israel, because they shall
eat the sacrifices of the Lord, and his oblations,
18:2. And they shall receive nothing else of the possession of their
brethren: for the Lord himself is their inheritance, as he hath said to
them.
18:3. This shall be the priest's due from the people, and from them that
offer victims: whether they sacrifice an ox, or a sheep, they shall give
to the priest the shoulder and the breast:
18:4. The firstfruits also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and a part of
the wool from the shearing of their sheep.
18:5. For the Lord thy God hath chosen him of all thy tribes, to stand
and to minister to the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.
18:6. If a Levite go out of any one of the cities throughout all Israel,
in which he dwelleth, and have a longing mind to come to the place which
the Lord shall choose,
18:7. He shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his
brethren the Levites do, that shall stand at that time before the Lord.
18:8. He shall receive the same portion of food that the rest do:
besides that which is due to him in his own city, by succession from his
fathers.
18:9. When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God shall give
thee, beware lest thou have a mind to imitate the abominations of those
nations.
18:10. Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate
his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that
consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there
be any wizard,
18:11. Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or
fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.
18:12. For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these
abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.
18:13. Thou shalt be perfect, and without spot before the Lord thy God.
18:14. These nations, whose land thou shalt possess, hearken to
soothsayers and diviners: but thou art otherwise instructed by the Lord
thy God.
18:15. The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a PROPHET of thy nation
and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear:
18:16. As thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the assembly
was gathered together, and saidst: Let me not hear any more the voice of
the Lord my God, neither let me see any more this exceeding great fire,
lest I die.
18:17. And the Lord said to me: They have spoken all things well.
18:18. I will raise them up a prophet out of the midst of their brethren
like to thee: and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak
to them all that I shall command him.
18:19. And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my
name, I will be the revenger.
18:20. But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in
my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of
strange gods, shall be slain.
18:21. And if in silent thought thou answer: How shall I know the word
that the Lord hath not spoken?
18:22. Thou shalt have this sign: Whatsoever that same prophet
foretelleth in the name of the Lord, and it cometh not to pass: that
thing the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath forged it by the
pride of his mind: and therefore thou shalt not fear him.