Numbers 18

Duties of Levites

1So the LordH3068 saidH559 to AaronH175, “You, your sonsH1121, and your father’sH1 householdH1004 with you shall 1bearH5375 the guiltH5771 2in connection with the sanctuaryH4720, and you and your sonsH1121 with you shall bearH5375 the guiltH5771 3in connection with your priesthoodH3550. 2But alsoH1571 bringH7126 your brothersH251 with you, the tribeH4294 of LeviH3878, the tribeH7626 of your fatherH1, so that they may 4joinH3867 you and serveH8334 you, while you and your sonsH1121 with you are beforeH6440 the tentH168 of the testimonyH5715. 3And they shall performH8104 dutiesH4931 for you and the dutiesH4931 of the wholeH3605 tentH168, but 5they shall not comeH7126 nearH7126 the furnishingsH3627 of the sanctuaryH6944 and 6the altarH4196, orH3808 bothH1571 they and you will dieH4191. 4They shall joinH3867 you and performH8104 the dutiesH4931 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150, for allH3605 the serviceH5656 of the tentH168; but 7an unauthorizedH2114 personH2114 shall not comeH7126 nearH7126 you. 5So you shall performH8104 the 8dutiesH4931 of the sanctuaryH6944 and the dutiesH4931 of the altarH4196, 9so that there will noH3808 longerH5750 be wrathH7110 on the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478. 6BeholdH2009, I MyselfH589 10have takenH3947 your 11fellowH251 LevitesH3881 from amongH8432 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; they are 12a giftH4979 to you, 13dedicatedH5414 to the LordH3068, to performH5647 the serviceH5656 for the tentH168 of meetingH4150. 7But you and your sonsH1121 with you shall 14attendH8104 to your priesthoodH3550 for everythingH3605 that concernsH1697 the altarH4196 and insideH4480H1004 the veilH6532, and you are to performH5647 serviceH5656. I am givingH5414 you the priesthoodH3550 as 15a 16serviceH5656 that is a giftH4979, and 17the 18unauthorizedH2114 personH2114 who comesH7131 nearH7131 shall be putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191.”

The Priests’ Portion

8Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to AaronH175, “Now beholdH2009, I MyselfH589 have putH5414 you in chargeH4931 of My 1920offeringsH8641, allH3605 the holyH6944 gifts of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 I have givenH5414 to you as a portionH4888 and to your sonsH1121 as a permanentH5769 allotmentH2706. 9ThisH2088 shall be yours from the mostH6944 holyH6944 gifts reserved from the fireH784; everyH3605 offeringH7133 of theirs, namely 21everyH3605 grain offeringH4503, everyH3605 22sinH2403 offeringH2403, and everyH3605 guiltH817 offeringH817, with whichH834 they shall makeH7725 restitutionH7725 to Me, shall be mostH6944 holyH6944 for you and for your sonsH1121. 10As the mostH6944 holyH6944 gifts you shall eatH398 it; everyH3605 maleH2145 shall eatH398 it. It shall be holyH6944 to you. 11ThisH2088 also is yours, 23the offeringH8641 of their giftH4976, that is, allH3605 the waveH8573 offeringsH8573 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; I have 24givenH5414 them to you and to your sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323 with you as a permanentH5769 allotmentH2706. EveryoneH3605 of your householdH1004 who is cleanH2889 may eatH398 it. 1225AllH3605 the 26bestH2459 of the freshH3323 oilH3323 and allH3605 the 27bestH2459 of the freshH8492 wineH8492 and of the grainH1715, the firstH7225 fruitsH7225 of whatH834 they giveH5414 to the LordH3068, I have givenH5414 them to you. 1328The firstH1061 ripeH1061 fruitsH1061 of allH3605 that is in their landH776, whichH834 they bringH935 to the LordH3068, shall be yours; everyoneH3605 of your householdH1004 who is cleanH2889 may eatH398 it. 1429EverythingH3605 bannedH2764 fromH2764 secularH2764 useH2764 in IsraelH3478 shall be yours. 153031EveryH3605 firstbornH6363 of the wombH7358 of allH3605 fleshH1320, whether humanH120 or animalH929, whichH834 they offerH7126 to the LordH3068, shall be yours; howeverH389 you mustH6299 redeemH6299 the humanH120 firstbornH1060, and the firstbornH1060 of uncleanH2931 animalsH929 you shall redeemH6299. 16As to 32their redemptionH6302 priceH6302, from a monthH2320 oldH1121 you shall redeemH6299 them, by your assessmentH6187, fiveH2568 33shekelsH8255 in silverH3701 by the 34shekelH8255 of the sanctuaryH6944, whichH1931 is twentyH6242 gerahsH1626. 17But 35the firstbornH1060 of an oxH7794, the firstbornH1060 of a sheepH3775, orH176 the firstbornH1060 of a goatH5795, you shall not redeemH6299; they are holyH6944. 36You shall sprinkleH2236 their bloodH1818 on the altarH4196 and offerH6999 upH6999 their fatH2459 inH6999 smokeH6999 as an offeringH801 byH801 fireH801, for a soothingH5207 aromaH7381 to the LordH3068. 18However, their 37meatH1320 shall be yours; it shall be yours like the 38breastH2373 of a waveH8573 offeringH8573 and like the rightH3225 thighH7785. 1939AllH3605 the offeringsH8641 of the holyH6944 gifts, whichH834 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 offerH7311 to the LordH3068, I have givenH5414 to you and your sonsH1121 and your daughtersH1323 with you, as a permanentH5769 allotmentH2706. It is 40a permanentH5769 covenantH1285 of saltH4417 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 to you and your 41descendantsH2233 with you.” 20Then the LordH3068 saidH559 to AaronH175, “42You shall have noH3808 inheritanceH5157 in their landH776 norH3808 ownH1961 any portionH2506 amongH8432 them; 43I am your portionH2506 and your inheritanceH5159 amongH8432 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478.

21“To the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878, beholdH2009, I have givenH5414 allH3605 the 44titheH4643 in IsraelH3478 as an inheritanceH5159, inH2500 returnH2500 forH2500 their serviceH5656 whichH834 they performH5647, the serviceH5656 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150. 22And 45the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 shall not comeH7126 nearH7126 the tentH168 of meetingH4150 againH5750, or they will bringH5375 sinH2399 on themselves and dieH4191. 23Only the LevitesH3881 shall performH5647 the serviceH5656 of the tentH168 of meetingH4150, and they shall 46bearH5375 their own guiltH5771; it shall be a permanentH5769 statuteH2708 throughout your generationsH1755, and amongH8432 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 47they shall haveH5157 noH3808 inheritanceH5159. 24For the titheH4643 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, whichH834 they offerH7311 as an offeringH8641 to the LordH3068, I have givenH5414 to the LevitesH3881 as an inheritanceH5159; thereforeH5921H3651 I have saidH559 concerning them, ‘48They shall haveH5157 noH3808 inheritanceH5159 amongH8432 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478.’”

25Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 26“Moreover, you shall speakH1696 to the LevitesH3881 and sayH559 to them, ‘WhenH3588 you takeH3947 from the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 49the titheH4643 whichH834 I have givenH5414 you from them for your inheritanceH5159, then you shall presentH7311 an offeringH8641 from it to the LordH3068, a 50titheH4643 of the titheH4643. 27Your offeringH8641 shall be creditedH2803 to you like the grainH1715 from the threshingH1637 floorH1637 or the fullH4395 produceH4395 from the wineH3342 vatH3342. 28SoH3651 you shall alsoH1571 presentH7311 an offeringH8641 to the LordH3068 from allH3605 your tithesH4643, whichH834 you receiveH3947 from the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; and from it you shall giveH5414 the Lord’sH3068 offeringH8641 to AaronH175 the priestH3548. 29Out of allH3605 your giftsH4979 you shall presentH7311 everyH3605 offeringH8641 due to the LordH3068, from allH3605 the 51bestH2459 of them, 52the sacredH4720 partH4720 from them.’ 30And you shall sayH559 to them, ‘When you have 53offeredH7311 from it the bestH2459 of it, then the rest shall be creditedH2803 to the LevitesH3881 like the productH8393 of the threshingH1637 floorH1637, and like the productH8393 of the wineH3342 vatH3342. 31You may eatH398 it anywhereH3605H4725, you and your householdsH1004, for it is your compensationH7939 inH2500 returnH2500 forH2500 your serviceH5656 in the tentH168 of meetingH4150. 32And you will bringH5375 on yourselves noH3808 sinH2399 byH5921 reasonH5921 ofH5921 it when you have 54offeredH7311 the 55bestH2459 of it. But you shall not 56profaneH2490 the sacredH6944 giftsH6944 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, so that you do not dieH4191.’”