1The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. 2They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. 4You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, 5for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always. 6If 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, 7he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. 8He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.
Occult Practices
9When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12Anyone 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. 13You must be blameless before the Lord your God.
The Prophet
14The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. 15The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16For 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.” 17The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20But 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, is to be put to death.” 21You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
18
Feem uas Faib rau Cov Povthawj
1“Cov Levis uas ua povthawj thiab tagnrho xeem Levis tsis muaj feem nrog cov Yixalayees faib av; lawv tsuas tau noj tej uas luag coj tuaj fij thiab tej uas luag zoo siab coj tuaj pub rau tus TSWV xwb. 2Lawv tsis nrog lawv cov kwvtij muaj liaj muaj teb los ua lawv tug; lawv feem yog ua tus TSWV cov povthawj raws li tus TSWV coglus tseg lawm. 3“Thaum luag coj nyuj lossis yaj tuaj tua fij, mas ib ceg tes, lub puabtsaig thiab lub plab yog cov povthawj feem. 4Thaum cov Yixalayees muab thawj phaum qoob ibtxhia uas yog nplej, cawv txiv hmab, roj txiv ntoo thiab cov plaub yaj uas lawv txiav thawj zaug coj tuaj fij, tej ntawd yog cov Levis tug. 5Tus TSWV xaiv xeem Levis tawm ntawm nej txhua xeem los ua cov povthawj ua nws tes haujlwm mus ibtxhis li. 6“Yog cov Levis uas nyob hauv nej tej nroog xav mus rau lwm lub nroog uas muaj chaw pehawm tus TSWV los nws yeej mus tau, 7nws yuav mus ua povthawj ua haujlwm rau tus TSWV uas yog nws tus Vajtswv, ib yam li nws cov kwvtij Levis uas tabtom ua rau tus TSWV ntawd. 8Nws muaj feem tau noj sib npaug zos ib yam li lwm tus povthawj, tsis xam tej uas nws cov kwvtij coj tuaj rau nws.
Tsis Pub Teev Dab Pe Mlom
9“Thaum nej mus nyob hauv lub tebchaws uas tus TSWV uas yog nej tus Vajtswv muab rau nej, nej tsis txhob mus xyaum coj thiab ua tej kev phem kev qias li cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub tebchaws ntawd ua. 10Nej tsis txhob muab nej tej menyuam tua hlawv fij, tsis txhob saib yaig, tsis txhob xam hnubnyoog, tsis txhob khovkuam, 11tsis txhob ua khawvkoob thiab tsis txhob mus cuag txivneeb txivyaig. 12Tus TSWV uas yog nej tus Vajtswv ntxub cov neeg uas ua tej kev phem kev qias li ntawd, twb yog li ntawd, nws thiaj muab cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub tebchaws ntawd ntiab tawm ua ntej nej mus nyob. 13Nej yuav tsum muab siab npuab tus TSWV uas yog nej tus Vajtswv kom kawg siab kawg ntsws.”
Tus Cevlus
14Mauxes hais rau lawv hais tias, “Cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub tebchaws uas nej tabtom yuav mus tua thiab nyob ntawd, lawv saib yaig thiab xam hnubnyoog, tiamsis tus TSWV uas yog nej tus Vajtswv tsis pub nej ua li lawv ua. 15Tus TSWV yuav xaiv ib tug hauv nej haivneeg los ua tus cevlus ib yam li kuv, nej yuav tsum mloog nws lus. 16“Hnub uas nej mus rau ntawm Roob Xinais, nej thov kom tus TSWV tsis txhob hais lus rau nej thiab tsis txhob pub nej pom tej nplaim taws uas tus TSWV nyob hauv ntxiv lawm, rau qhov nej ntshai nyob tsam nej tuag. 17Tus TSWV hais rau kuv hais tias, ‘Yeej yog li lawv tej lus thov. 18Kuv yuav xaiv lawv haivneeg ib tug los ua tus cevlus ib yam li koj; kuv yuav qhia kom tus cevlus ntawd piav kuv tej lus txhua lo rau sawvdaws. 19Tus cevlus tuav kuv lub npe qhia rau sawvdaws, yog leejtwg tsis ua raws li tej lus uas nws hais, ces kuv yuav rau txim rau tus ntawd. 20Tiamsis yog ib tug cevlus twg lam tuav kuv lub npe qhia ib yam dabtsi uas kuv tsis tau kom nws hais, thiab tus cevlus uas lam tuav lwm tus vajtswv lub npe qhia yuav tuag.’ 21“Nej yuav paub hais tias tej lus uas tus cevlus hais tsis yog tus TSWV tej lus. 22Yog tus cevlus uas tuav tus TSWV lub npe hais tias yuav muaj ib yam dabtsi tshwm los, tiamsis tsis muaj dabtsi tshwm raws li nws hais ntawd, tej lus ntawd tsis yog tus TSWV lus. Tus cevlus ntawd nws hais nws xwb, nej tsis txhob ntshai nws.