Special Privileges for Priests and Levites
(Numbers 18.8-32)Moses said to Israel:
1 The people of the Levi tribe, including the priests, will not receive any land. Instead, they will receive part of the sacrifices that are offered to the Lord, 2 because he has promised to provide for them in this way.
3 When you sacrifice a bull or sheep, the priests will be given the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach. 4 In addition, they will receive the first part of your grain harvest and part of your first batches of wine and olive oil. You must also give them the first wool that is cut from your sheep each year. 5 Give these gifts to the priests, because the Lord has chosen them and their descendants out of all the tribes of Israel to be his special servants at the place of worship.
6 Any Levite can leave his hometown, and go to the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped, 7 and then be a special servant of the Lord there, just like all the other Levites. 8 Some Levites may have money from selling family possessions, and others may not. But all Levites serving at the place of worship will receive the same amount of food from the sacrifices and gifts brought by the people.
Don't Do Disgusting Things
Moses said to Israel:
9 Soon you will go into the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The nations that live there do things that are disgusting to the Lord, and you must not follow their example. 10-11 Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead.
12 The Lord is disgusted with anyone who does these things, and that's why he will help you destroy the nations that are in the land. 13 Never be guilty of doing any of these disgusting things!
A Prophet like Moses
Moses said to Israel:
14 You will go in and take the land from nations that practice magic and witchcraft. But the Lord your God won't allow you to do those things. 15 Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says. 16 You were asking for a prophet the day you were gathered at Mount Sinai and said to the Lord, “Please don't let us hear your voice or see this terrible fire again—if we do, we will die!”
17 Then the Lord told me:
Moses, they have said the right thing. 18 So when I want to speak to them, I will choose one of them to be a prophet like you. I will give my message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said. 19 Since the message comes from me, anyone who doesn't obey the message will have to answer to me.
20 But if I haven't spoken, and a prophet claims to have a message from me, you must kill that prophet, and you must also kill any prophet who claims to have a message from another god.
Moses said to Israel:
21 You may be asking yourselves, “How can we tell if a prophet's message really comes from the Lord?” 22 You will know, because if the Lord says something will happen, it will happen. And if it doesn't, you will know that the prophet was falsely claiming to speak for the Lord. Don't be afraid of any prophet whose message doesn't come from the Lord.
Priesteru un levītu daļa
1 Lai levītiem priesteriem un visai Levī ciltij nav daļas un mantojuma kopā ar visiem pārējiem Israēlā – tie lai ēd Kunga dedzināmos upurus, viņa mantojumu! 2 Lai tiem nav mantojuma kopā ar viņu brāļiem – Kungs ir viņu mantojums, kā viņš tiem zvērējis!
3 Šī ir priesteru tiesa no tautas, no tiem, kas upurē kādu upuri – vērsi vai aunu. No tā tiem jādod priesterim plecs, abi žokļa kauli un kuņģis! 4 Dod tam ik pirmo no savas labības, no vīna, no eļļas un pirmo cirpumu no savām avīm! 5 Jo viņus Kungs, tavs Dievs, ir izvēlējies no visām tavām ciltīm, lai tie stātos un kalpotu Kunga vārdā, Levī un viņa dēli uz mūžiem! 6 Ja kāds levīts jebkur Israēlā gribēs atstāt savu mājvietu un dosies uz vietu, ko Kungs izvēlējies, 7 tad lai viņš kalpo Kunga, sava Dieva, vārdā tāpat kā visi viņa brāļi levīti, kas jau tur stājušies Kunga priekšā. 8 Lai tiem tiek vienādas ēdiena daļas, neskaitot to, ko viņš pārdevis no sava tēva īpašuma.
Bērnu upurēšana, spiritisms, maģija
9 Kad tu nonāksi zemē, ko Kungs, tavs Dievs, tev dod, tad nemācies atdarināt to tautu preteklības. 10 Lai starp jums neatrodas neviens, kas sadedzina savu dēlu vai meitu ugunī vai kas pareģo, zīlē, bur, pesteļo, 11 vārdo, izsauc garus, ir zintnieks vai mirušo iztaujātājs, – 12 Kungam ir pretīgi visi, kas tā dara! Šo preteklību dēļ Kungs, tavs Dievs, viņus ir padzinis tavā priekšā. 13 Esi nevainojams Kungam, savam Dievam! 14 Jo šīs tautas, ko tu padzīsi, klausa zīlniekus un pareģus, bet tev Kungs, tavs Dievs, nav tā ļāvis!
Pravietis kā Mozus
15 Kungs, tavs Dievs, tev dos tādu pravieti kā es – no pašu ļaudīm, no taviem brāļiem, klausiet viņu! 16 Gluži kā tu prasīji Kungam, savam Dievam, pie Horeba sapulces dienā: lai man vairs nav jādzird Kunga, mana Dieva, balss, lai vairs nav jāredz šī lielā uguns, ka es nemirstu! 17 Un Kungs man teica: pareizi viņi saka! 18 No viņu brāļiem es tiem iecelšu tādu pravieti kā tu, es likšu tam mutē savus vārdus, un tas viņiem teiks visu, ko es viņam pavēlēšu! 19 Kurš neklausīs manas runas, ko tas viņiem teiks manā vārdā, tam es pats atprasīšu! 20 Bet pravietis, kurš uzdrīkstēsies runāt manā vārdā ko tādu, ko es viņam neesmu pavēlējis runāt, vai kas runās citu dievu vārdā, – tāds pravietis lai mirst! 21 Un, kad tu savā sirdī teiksi: kā lai mēs pazīstam to, ko Kungs nav runājis? – 22 ja kāds pravietis būs runājis Kunga vārdā un tā nebūs noticis, tad Kungs to nav sacījis! Šis pravietis to ir sacījis augstprātībā – nebīstieties viņu!
