1 »The Levitical priests including the entire tribe of Levi will receive no land or property of their own like the rest of the Israelites. They will eat what has been sacrificed to Jehovah. These sacrifices will be what they receive.

2 »They are to own no land, as the other tribes do. Their inheritance is the privilege of being Jehovah’s priests, as Jehovah told them.

3 »When cattle or sheep are sacrificed, the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jaw, and the stomach.

4 »They are to receive the first share of the grain, wine, olive oil, and wool.

5 »Jehovah chose from all your tribes the tribe of Levi to serve him and his sons as priests forever.

6 »Any Levite who wants to may come from any town in Israel to the one place of worship.

7 »He may serve there, as a priest of Jehovah his God, like the other Levites who are serving there.

8 »He is to receive the same amount of food as the other priests. He may keep everything his family sends him.

9 »When you come into the land that Jehovah your God gives you, do not follow the disgusting practices of the nations that are there.

10 »Do not sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars. Do not let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells or charms.

11 »Do not allow them to consult the spirits of the dead.

12 »Jehovah your God hates people who do these disgusting things. That is why he is driving those nations out of the land as you advance.

13 »Be perfect without blemish with Jehovah your God.

14 »These nations whom you shall possess listened to observers of clouds and to diviners. As for you, Jehovah your God has not allowed you to do so.

15 »Jehovah your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. Listen to him!

16 »This is according to all that you asked of Jehovah your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly. You said: Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God. Do not let me see this great fire anymore, or I will die.

17 »Jehovah said to me: ‘They have spoken well.

18 »‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will speak to them all that I command him.

19 »‘Whoever refuses to listen to the words that the prophet speaks in my name will answer to me.

20 »‘Any prophet who dares to say something in my name that I did not command him to say or who speaks in the name of other gods must die.

21 »‘« You may wonder: »How shall we recognize that Jehovah did not speak this message?«

22 »If a prophet speaks in Jehovah’s name and what he says does not happen or come true, then it did not come from Jehovah. That prophet has spoken on his own authority. Never be afraid of him.’