Numbers Chapter 18
Duties of Priests and Levites
1 So Yahveh told Aaron,
“You, your sons, and your father’s family will be responsible for the sanctuary. You and your sons will be responsible for the priesthood. 2 But take your relatives from the tribe of Levi to help you while you and your sons serve in the Tent of Testimony. 3 They’ll make preparations throughout the Tent, but they can’t approach the sanctuary furnishings or the altar, or they and you will die. 4 An outsider can’t come near you. 5 They’ll tend to preparations for the sanctuary and the altar so there won’t be any more anger on Israel. 6 I’ll give your fellow Levites to you, dedicated to Yahveh, to service the Tent of Meeting. 7 But you and your sons will tend to everything around the altar and inside the curtain. I’m giving you the priesthood as a service; execute any outsider that comes near.”
Num 18:1-7
8Then Yahveh told Aaron,
“I’ve put you in charge of my heave offerings. 9 As a permanent allotment, I’ve given you and your sons the holy gifts the Israelites bring. That will be yours from the most holy things, reserved from the fire. Every grain offering, sin offering, and gift offering will be most holy for you and your sons. 10 Every male of yours will eat them.
11 Their wave offerings are yours too. I’ve given them to you and your sons and daughters as an ongoing allotment. Anybody in your family that’s ceremonially clean can eat them.
12 I’ve given you the best of the fresh olive oil, fresh wine, and grain— the first part of the harvest that the people bring to me. 13 They belong to you. Anybody in your family that’s ceremonially clean can eat them.
14 Devoted things in Israel are yours. 15 You’ll have the first issue of the womb of people and animals that’s offered to me. Nevertheless, you’ll redeem firstborn people and ceremonially unclean animals. 16 The redemption price from a month old will be 2 oz of silver 5 shekels of the sanctuary (20 gerahs a shekel). 17 But you can’t redeem a firstborn ox, sheep, or goat; they’re holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and offer up their fat in smoke as a burnt offering, for an aroma pleasing to me. 18 All their meat will be yours like the breast of a wave offering and the right thigh. 19 The holy gifts are a permanent allotment to you, your sons, and daughters—a permanent covenant of salt with me for you and your descendants.”
Num 18:8-19
20Yahveh told Aaron,
“You won’t own or inherit land. I’m your portion, service in the Tent of Meeting. 21 I’ve given the Levites a tithe from Israel as payment for their service. 22 Israelites can’t approach the Tent of Meeting anymore, or they’ll be held guilty and die. 23 Only Levites will perform service there. They’ll bear that responsibility as an ongoing statute throughout your generations. [ 24 ]” Num 18:20-24
25 Yahveh told Moses to tell the Levites,
26 “When you receive the tithe from Israel, present a tenth of it to Yahveh. 27 It will be considered equivalent to the grain from the threshing floor or the wine from the wine vat. 28 You, too, will present an offering to Yahveh—from the tithes you receive. Present it to Aaron the priest 29 from the best of the tithes, their sacred portion. 30 Tell them, ‘When you’ve offered the best of it, the rest will be considered equivalent to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor or the wine vat. 31 You and your families can eat it anywhere; it’s your compensation for service in the Tent of Meeting. 32 You won’t be held guilty when you’ve offered the best of it. Don’t profane the Israelites’ sacred gifts, or you’ll die.’”
Num 18:25-32