Præsternes og levitternes underhold
1Husk, at præsterne og de øvrige levitter ikke får nogen jord tildelt som resten af Israels folk. Præsterne og levitterne skal leve af de offergaver, som folket bringer til helligdommen. 2De må ikke eje jord som deres landsmænd. De skal sætte deres lid til Herren, og han har lovet at sørge for dem.
3Når I ofrer hornkvæg eller småkvæg til Herren, skal I overlade boven, kæberne og maven til præsterne. 4Derudover har de krav på førstegrøden af jeres korn-, vin- og olivenhøst, samt den første uld fra fåreklipningen. 5Herren jeres Gud har blandt Israels folk udtaget Levis stamme til altid at gøre tjeneste ved helligdommen.
6-7Enhver levit har, uanset hvor han bor i landet, ret til når som helst at komme til helligdommen og gøre tjeneste der på lige fod med alle andre levitter, som regelmæssigt arbejder der. 8Han har krav på sin retmæssige del af ofrene, også selv om han har indtægter ved salg af nogle af sine ejendele.
Advarsel imod at følge hedenske skikke
9Når I kommer ind i det land, som Herren vil give jer, så pas på, at I ikke lader jer friste til at deltage i lokalbefolkningens afgudsdyrkelse. 10Ingen iblandt jer må brænde sine børn som offer til afguderne, udøve spådomskunst eller trolddomskunst, 11bruge sort magi eller have noget som helst med spiritisme at gøre. 12-14Herren ser med væmmelse på enhver, der beskæftiger sig med den slags ting, ja, det var netop derfor Herren, jeres Gud, besluttede at jage de indfødte ud af landet og give det til jer. I må ikke følge deres eksempel, men I skal trofast adlyde Herren i alle ting.
En profet som Moses
15Herren, jeres Gud, vil engang sende jer en profet som mig. Han skal udgå fra jeres eget folk, og I skal lytte til ham og adlyde ham. 16Jeres forældre bad selv om at få en profet som mellemmand, dengang de stod ved foden af Horebs bjerg og tiggede om at blive fri for selv at skulle høre Guds frygtindgydende stemme og se den fortærende ild, fordi de var bange for at dø.
17‚Godt,’ sagde Herren til mig, ‚jeg vil give dem, hvad de beder om. 18Jeg vil sende dem en profet som dig. Han skal udgå fra deres eget folk, og jeg vil fortælle ham, hvad han skal sige. Han skal være mit talerør overfor folket, 19og jeg vil personligt tage mig af enhver, der nægter at anerkende de ord, profeten taler på mine vegne. 20Men hvis en profet påberåber sig autoritet fra mig, på trods af at jeg ikke har talt til ham, skal han dø. Det samme gælder enhver profet, der taler på andre guders vegne.’
21Hvordan kan man så afgøre, om en profeti kommer fra Herren eller ej? 22Hvis profetien ikke går i opfyldelse, kommer den ikke fra Herren. Budskabet er da noget, profeten selv har fundet på, og I skal ikke være bange for den dom, han forkynder.
Offerings for Priests and Levites
1The priests, who are Levites, won’t receive any part of the land of Israel. That also applies to the whole tribe of Levi. They will eat the food offerings presented to the Lord. That will be their share. 2They won’t have any part of the land the Lord gave the other tribes in Israel. The Lord himself is their share, just as he promised them.
3Anyone who sacrifices a bull or a sheep owes a share of it to the priests. Their share is the shoulder, the inside parts and the meat from the head. 4You must give the priests the first share of the harvest of your grain, olive oil and fresh wine. You must also give them the first wool you clip from your sheep. 5The Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their sons after them to serve him in his name always. He hasn’t chosen priests from any of your other tribes.
6Sometimes a Levite will move from the town in Israel where he’s living. And he will come to the place the Lord will choose. He’ll do it because he really wants to. 7Then he can serve in the name of the Lord his God. He’ll be like all the other Levites who serve the Lord there. 8He must have an equal share of the good things they have. That applies even if he has already received money by selling things his family owned.
Practices the Lord Hates
9You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you do, don’t copy the practices of the nations there. The Lord hates those practices. 10Here are things you must not do. Don’t sacrifice your children in the fire to other gods. Don’t practice any kind of evil magic at all. Don’t use magic to try to explain the meaning of warnings in the sky or of any other signs. Don’t take part in worshiping evil powers. 11Don’t put a spell on anyone. Don’t get messages from those who have died. Don’t talk to the spirits of the dead. Don’t get advice from the dead. 12The Lord your God hates it when anyone does these things. The nations in the land he’s giving you do these things he hates. So he will drive out those nations to make room for you. 13You must be without blame in the sight of the Lord your God.
The Prophet of the Lord
14You will take over the nations that are in the land the Lord is giving you. They listen to those who practice all kinds of evil magic. But you belong to the Lord your God. He says you must not do these things. 15The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must listen to him. 16At Mount Horeb you asked the Lord your God for a prophet. You asked him on the day you gathered together. You said, “We don’t want to hear the voice of the Lord our God. We don’t want to see this great fire anymore. If we do, we’ll die.”
17The Lord said to me, “What they are saying is good. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you. He will be one of their own people. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him to say. 19The prophet will speak in my name. But someone might not listen to what I say through the prophet. I will hold that person responsible for not listening. 20But suppose a prophet dares to speak in my name something I have not commanded. Or he speaks in the name of other gods. Then that prophet must be put to death.”
21You will say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message hasn’t been spoken by the Lord?” 22Sometimes a prophet will announce something in the name of the Lord. And it won’t take place or come true. Then that’s a message the Lord hasn’t told him to speak. That prophet has dared to speak on his own authority. So don’t be afraid of what he says.
