Numbers 18
The Lord instructs Aaron that he, his sons, and the Levites will bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary and the sins of the priesthood. The Levites are to assist the priests in the tabernacle, but are not to approach the vessels of the Sanctuary or the altar. The Lord gives the Levites to Aaron as a gift to serve in the ministries of the tabernacle, and the priests are to guard the priesthood and the altar. The Lord also gives Aaron and his sons the first-fruits and offerings of the Israelites as their inheritance, and the Levites are to receive the tithes of the Israelites as their possession.
1And the Lord said to Aaron: "You, and your sons, and the house of your father with you, shall carry the iniquity of the Sanctuary. And you and your sons together shall bear the sins of your priesthood2But take to yourselves also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, and the scepter of your father, and may they be prepared, and may they minister to you. Then you and your sons shall minister in the tabernacle of the testimony3And the Levites shall stand watch by your precepts, and for all the works of the tabernacle; yet in such a manner that they shall not approach the vessels of the Sanctuary and of the altar, lest both they die, and you perish, at the same time4But they may be with you, and they may watch over the care of the tabernacle and all its ceremonies. A foreigner shall not be mixed with you5Watch over the care of the Sanctuary, and over the ministry of the altar, lest an indignation may rise over the sons of Israel6I have given your brothers, the Levites, to you from the midst of the sons of Israel, and I have delivered them as a gift to the Lord, in order to serve in the ministries of his tabernacle7But as for you and your sons: guard the priesthood. For all that pertains to the service of the altar and of what is beyond the veil shall be exercised by the priests. If any outsider will approach, he shall be killed.8And the Lord said to Aaron: "Behold, I have given you custody of my first-fruits. Everything that is sanctified by the sons of Israel I have delivered to you and your sons, for the office of the priesthood, by everlasting ordinances9Therefore, you shall receive these, from the things that are sanctified and offered to the Lord. Every offering, and sacrifice, and whatever is repaid to me, on behalf of sin and also for offenses, and which becomes the Holy of holies, shall be for you and for your sons10You shall eat it in the Sanctuary. Only the males shall eat from it, because it has been consecrated for you11But the first-fruits, which the sons of Israel shall vow and offer, I have given to you, and to your sons, as well as to your daughters, by a perpetual right. Whoever is clean in your house shall eat them12All the innermost of the oil, and of the wine, and of the grain, whatever first-fruits they offer to the Lord, I have given to you13All the first of the crops, which the soil produces and which are carried to the Lord, shall fall to your use. Whoever is clean in your house shall eat them14All that the sons of Israel shall repay by vow shall be yours15Whatever goes out first from the womb, of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether from men or from cattle, shall be your right; yet only in so far as, for the firstborn of man, you shall accept a price. And every animal that is unclean you shall cause to be redeemed16And its redemption shall be, after one month, five shekels of silver, by the weight of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols17But the firstborn of a cow, or of a sheep, or of a goat, you shall not cause to be redeemed, because they have been sanctified to the Lord. Thus, their blood you shall pour out upon the altar, and their fat you shall burn as a most sweet odor to the Lord18Yet truly, the flesh shall fall to your use, just as the consecrated breast and the right shoulder shall be yours19All the first-fruits of the Sanctuary, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and to your sons as well as to your daughters, as a perpetual right. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord, for you and for your sons.20And the Lord said to Aaron: "In their land, you shall possess nothing; neither shall you have a portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel21But I have given, to the sons of Levi, all the tithes of Israel as a possession, for the ministry by which they serve me in the tabernacle of the covenant22so that the sons of Israel may no longer approach to the tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin23Only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle and may carry the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall possess nothing else24being content with the oblation of tithes, which I have separated for their uses and necessities.25And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying26"Instruct the Levites, and also declare to them: When you will receive, from the sons of Israel, the tithes, which I have given to you, offer their first-fruits to the Lord, that is, the tenth part of a tenth27so that it may be accounted to you as an oblation of the first-fruits, as much from the threshing floors as from the oil and wine presses28And offer the first-fruits of everything, from which you receive tithes, to the Lord, and give them to Aaron the priest29Everything which you shall offer from the tithes, and which you shall separate as gifts to the Lord, shall be the finest and most select30And you shall say to them: ‘If you offer the noble and the better of the tithes, it shall be accounted to you as if you had given from the first-fruits of the threshing floor and of the oil and wine presses.31And you shall eat these in all your places, both you and your families, because it is your price for the ministry, by which you serve in the tabernacle of the testimony32And you shall not sin in this way: by reserving the excellent and fat things for yourselves, lest you pollute the oblations of the sons of Israel, and lest you die.
Share this chapter