申命記18:1-22

18:1 「祭司利未人和利未全支派必在以色列中無分無業；他們所吃用的就是獻給耶和華的火祭和一切所捐的。
18:2 他們在弟兄中必沒有產業；耶和華是他們的產業，正如耶和華所應許他們的。
18:3 祭司從百姓所當得的分乃是這樣：凡獻牛或羊為祭的，要把前腿和兩腮並脾胃給祭司。
18:4 初收的五穀、新酒和油，並初剪的羊毛，也要給他；
18:5 因為耶和華─你的上帝從你各支派中將他揀選出來，使他和他子孫永遠奉耶和華的名侍立，事奉。
18:6 「利未人無論寄居在以色列中的哪一座城，若從那裡出來，一心願意到耶和華所選擇的地方，
18:7 就要奉耶和華─他上帝的名事奉，像他眾弟兄利未人侍立在耶和華面前事奉一樣。
18:8 除了他賣祖父產業所得的以外，還要得一分祭物與他們同吃。」
18:9 「你到了耶和華─你上帝所賜之地，那些國民所行可憎惡的事，你不可學著行。
18:10 你們中間不可有人使兒女經火，也不可有占卜的、觀兆的、用法術的、行邪術的、
18:11 用迷術的、交鬼的、行巫術的、過陰的。
18:12 凡行這些事的都為耶和華所憎惡；因那些國民行這可憎惡的事，所以耶和華─你的上帝將他們從你面前趕出。
18:13 你要在耶和華─你的上帝面前作完全人。」
18:14 「因你所要趕出的那些國民都聽信觀兆的和占卜的，至於你，耶和華─你的上帝從來不許你這樣行。
18:15 耶和華─你的上帝要從你們弟兄中間給你興起一位先知，像我，你們要聽從他。
18:16 正如你在何烈山大會的日子求耶和華─你上帝一切的話，說：『求你不再叫我聽見耶和華─我上帝的聲音，也不再叫我看見這大火，免得我死亡。』
18:17 耶和華就對我說：『他們所說的是。
18:18 我必在他們弟兄中間給他們興起一位先知，像你。我要將當說的話傳給他；他要將我一切所吩咐的都傳給他們。
18:19 誰不聽他奉我名所說的話，我必討誰的罪。
18:20 若有先知擅敢託我的名說我所未曾吩咐他說的話，或是奉別神的名說話，那先知就必治死。』
18:21 你心裡若說：『耶和華所未曾吩咐的話，我們怎能知道呢？』
18:22 先知託耶和華的名說話，所說的若不成就，也無效驗，這就是耶和華所未曾吩咐的，是那先知擅自說的，你不要怕他。」

The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. ² They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.

³ This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. ⁴ You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, ⁵ for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always.

⁶ If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose, ⁷ he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. ⁸ He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.

⁹ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. ¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. ¹³ You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

¹⁴ The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. ¹⁵ The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. ¹⁶ For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

¹⁷ The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. ¹⁹ I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. ²⁰ But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

²¹ You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” ²² If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

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    上帝是不會虧待自己的僕人，正如在這裡明文地說到自己必照顧利未人，祂是他們的產業，必讓他們不至於缺乏，而且是享受最好的，因為以色列人要將最好的獻給耶和華，由利未人代表享用！

    同樣今日的教會讀到這段經文要想到在教會中事奉的傳道人，他們為了事奉上帝沒有到社會工作，也因此沒有在社會上賺錢，就像利未人沒有產業，也因為這樣上帝就是他們的產業！我們將最好的獻給上帝，他們就是代表上帝享用，如同利未人一般！

    因此，教會沒有好好的供應傳道人，是教會的弟兄姊妹虧欠上帝！虧欠人還好，虧欠上帝的，上帝必定追討！教會若要復興，當然要先從敬畏上帝開始，敬畏上帝的表現，就是好好照顧傳道人！