Numbers 18

1 And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

The LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

2 And also thy brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, that they may be joined with thee, and minister unto thee; while thou and thy sons with thee shall be before the tabernacle of the testimony.

Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony.

3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar shall they not come near, that they may not die, either they or you.

They shall keep your commands and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they nor you.

4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, respecting all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

They shall be joined to you and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you.

5 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be not any more wrath upon the children of Israel.

“You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel.

6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel; unto you are they given as a gift for the Lord, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.

7 And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood concerning every matter of the altar, and for that within the vail, where ye shall serve: as a service of gift do I give you your priesthood; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

8 And the Lord spoke unto Aaron, And I, behold, I give thee the charge of my heave-offerings; of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel, unto thee have I given them as an official portion, and to thy sons, as a fixed right for ever.

The LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.

9 This shall belong to thee of the most holy things, from the fire-[offerings]: every oblation of theirs, namely, every meat-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every, trespass-offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall, as most holy things, belong to thee and to thy sons.

This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.

10 In a most holy place shalt thou eat it: every male shall eat it; holy shall it be unto thee.

You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you.

11 And this shall be thine, as the heave-offering of their gift, of all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a fixed portion for ever: every one that is clean in thy house may eat thereof.

“This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

12 All the best of oil, and all the best of wine, and of corn, the first-fruits thereof which they shall offer unto the Lord, to thee have I given them.

“I have given to you all the best of the oil, all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to the LORD.

13 The first ripe fruit of whatsoever is in their land, which they may bring unto the Lord, shall be thine: every one that is clean in thy house may eat thereof.

The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.

“Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.

15 Whatever openeth the womb of all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, be it of men or of cattle, shall be thine: nevertheless thou shalt redeem the first-born of man, and the firstling of the unclean cattle shalt thou redeem.

Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to the LORD, both of man and animal, shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals.

16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to the usual estimation of five shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.

You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.

17 But the firstling of an ox, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: their blood shalt thou sprinkle upon the altar, and their fat shalt thou burn as a fire-offering, for a sweet savor unto the Lord.

“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

18 And their flesh shall be thine: as the breast that is waved and as the right shoulder shall it be thine.

Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.

19 All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel set apart unto the Lord, I have given to thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a fixed portion for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord for thee and for thy seed with thee.

All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD to you and to your offspring with you.”

20 And the Lord said unto Aaron, In their land shalt thou have no inheritance, and any portion shalt thou not have among them: I am thy portion and thy inheritance among the children of Israel.

The LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.

21 And to the children of Levi, behold, I have given every tithe in Israel, for an inheritance, in lieu of their service which they render, the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

“To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting.

22 And the children of Israel shall not henceforth come nigh unto the tabernacle of the congregation, to bear sin, to die thereby.

Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.

23 But they of the tribe of Levi themselves shall perform the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: a statute for ever shall it be throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel shall they not possess any inheritance.

But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance.

24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave-offering unto the Lord, have I given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore have I said unto them, Among the children of Israel shall they obtain no inheritance.

For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’”

25 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

26 And unto the Levites shalt thou speak, and say unto them, When ye take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance: then shall ye separate therefrom a heave-offering of the Lord, the tenth part of the tithe.

“Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for the LORD, a tithe of the tithe.

27 And your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, like the corn of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the wine-press.

Your wave offering shall be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press.

28 Thus shall ye also offer a heave-offering unto the Lord from all your tithes, which ye may receive from the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the heave-offering of the Lord to Aaron the priest.

Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to the LORD of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give the LORD’s wave offering to Aaron the priest.

29 From all your gifts shall ye set apart every heave-offering of the Lord, from every best part thereof, its hallowed portion therefrom.

Out of all your gifts, you shall offer every wave offering to the LORD, of all its best parts, even the holy part of it.’

30 And thou shalt say unto them, When ye have separated the best thereof from it: then shall [the remainder] be counted unto the Levites as the produce of the threshing-floor, and as the produce of the wine-press.

“Therefore you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press.

31 And ye may eat it in every place, ye and your households; for it is your reward in lieu of your service at the tabernacle of the congregation.

You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting.

32 And ye shall not bear any sin by reason of it, when ye have separated its best part from it: and the holy things of the children of Israel shall ye not profane, lest ye die.

You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.’”