Deuteronomy 18 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

The Levitical priests — the entire tribe of Levi — won't receive a portion of land or an inheritance with the rest of Israel. They'll eat from the food offerings made to Yahweh, because that is their inheritance.

They won't have an inheritance among their fellow tribes. Yahweh himself is their inheritance, just as he promised them.

This is what the priests are entitled to from the people — from anyone who brings a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach must be given to the priest.

You'll also give him the first portion of your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.

Because Yahweh your God chose him out of all your tribes to stand and serve in Yahweh's name — him and his descendants — for all time.

If a Levite moves from any town in Israel where he's been living, and he comes with all his heart's desire to the place Yahweh chooses,

then he may serve in the name of Yahweh his God just like all his fellow Levites who stand serving there before Yahweh.

He'll receive equal portions to eat, regardless of what he's received from selling family property.

When you enter the land that Yahweh your God is giving you, don't learn to copy the disgusting practices of those nations.

There must never be anyone among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in fire, or who practices divination, or looks for omens, or uses sorcery, or casts spells,

or who conjures the dead, or who is a medium or spiritist, or who consults the dead.

Because anyone who does these things is disgusting to Yahweh, and it's because of these disgusting practices that Yahweh your God is driving those nations out ahead of you.

You must be completely devoted to Yahweh your God.

The nations you're about to displace listen to people who look for omens and practice divination. But Yahweh your God hasn't allowed you to do that.

Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people, from your own community. You must listen to him.

This is exactly what you asked Yahweh your God for at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of Yahweh our God again, and don't let us see this great fire anymore, or we'll die.'

And Yahweh said to me, 'What they've said is good.

I'll raise up a prophet for them from among their own people, just like you. I'll put my words in his mouth, and he'll tell them everything I command him.

And anyone who doesn't listen to my words that he speaks in my name — I will personally hold them accountable.

But if a prophet has the arrogance to speak a message in my name that I didn't command him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods — that prophet must die.'

Now, you might be thinking, 'How do we know if a message isn't from Yahweh?'

If a prophet speaks in Yahweh's name and the thing doesn't happen or come true, that's a message Yahweh didn't speak. The prophet spoke it out of his own arrogance. Don't be afraid of him.