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.
利未人的產業
1「利未祭司及其他利未支派的人在以色列不可擁有土地。他們吃的是獻給耶和華的火祭，那是他們的產業。 2他們在眾支派中沒有自己的產業，因為耶和華是他們的產業，這是祂的應許。 3眾人所獻的牛羊的前腿、腮頰和胃應歸祭司。 4你們要給祭司初收的五穀、新酒、新油和初剪的羊毛。 5因為你們的上帝耶和華從各支派中揀選了利未人，讓他們世代奉祂的名事奉。
6「以色列境內任何地方的利未人若願意離開自己所住的城，去耶和華選定的地方， 7他可以像在耶和華面前事奉的其他利未人一樣，在那裡事奉他的上帝耶和華。 8除了變賣產業所得之外，他還可以分到與其他祭司同等分量的祭物。
不可隨從外族風俗
9「你們進入你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們的土地後，不可仿效當地民族的可憎行徑。 10你們當中不可有人焚燒自己的子女作祭物，不可有人占卜、算命、作法、行邪術、 11念咒、做靈媒、行巫術或求問亡靈。 12凡做這些事的人都是耶和華所憎惡的。正是因為當地的民族做這些可憎之事，你們的上帝耶和華才要當著你們的面把他們趕走。 13你們要在你們的上帝耶和華面前純全無過。
耶和華使一位先知興起
14「你們將要趕走的那些民族聽信術士和巫師，但你們的上帝耶和華不准你們仿效他們。 15你們的上帝耶和華要在你們中間選立一位像我一樣的先知，你們要聽從他。 16這正是你們在何烈山聚會時向你們的上帝耶和華所求的，當時你們說，『不要讓我們再聽見我們上帝耶和華的聲音，也不要讓我們再看見這烈火，免得我們死亡。』 17於是，耶和華對我說，『他們說的對。 18我要在他們當中選立一位像你一樣的先知，我會告訴他該說的話，他要把我的一切吩咐告訴他們。 19如果有人不聽從他奉我的名所說的話，我必親自懲罰那人。 20若有先知冒我的名說我未曾吩咐他的話，或以其他神明的名義說話，必須處死他。』 21你們也許心裡會問，『我們如何知道是否是耶和華說的話呢？』 22如果先知奉耶和華的名說的話沒有應驗，他的話就不是耶和華說的。他是妄自說預言，你們不用怕他。
