14 For these nations, which you are going to dispossess, listen to (A)soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.

15 (B)The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen; to him you shall listen. 16 This is (C)in accordance with everything that you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of the Lord my God again, and do not let me see this great fire anymore, or I will die!’ 17 And (D)the Lord said to me, ‘They have [a]spoken well. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and (E)I will put My words in his mouth, and (F)he shall speak to them everything that I command him. 19 (G)And it shall come about that whoever does not listen to My words which he speaks in My name, I Myself will [b]require it of him. 20 But the prophet who speaks a word (H)presumptuously in My name, a word which I have not commanded him to speak, or (I)which he speaks in the name of other gods, [c]that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How will we recognize the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ 22 (J)When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it (K)presumptuously; you are not to be afraid of him.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:17 Lit done well what they have spoken
  2. Deuteronomy 18:19 I.e., hold him responsible
  3. Deuteronomy 18:20 Lit then that

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17 And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

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14 The nations you replace all do these evil things, but the Lord your God will not permit you to do such things.

15 “Instead, he will raise up for you a prophet like me, an Israeli, a man to whom you must listen and whom you must obey. 16 For this is what you yourselves begged of God at Mount Horeb. There at the foot of the mountain you begged that you might not have to listen to the terrifying voice of God again, or see the awesome fire on the mountain, lest you die.

17 “‘All right,’ the Lord said to me, ‘I will do as they have requested. 18 I will raise up from among them a prophet, an Israeli like you. I will tell him what to say, and he shall be my spokesman to the people. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to him and heed his messages from me. 20 But any prophet who falsely claims that his message is from me shall die. And any prophet who claims to give a message from other gods must die.’ 21 If you wonder, ‘How shall we know whether the prophecy is from the Lord or not?’ 22 this is the way to know: If the thing he prophesies doesn’t happen, it is not the Lord who has given him the message; he has made it up himself. You have nothing to fear from him.

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