Liber Numeri 18
1 Dixitque Dominus ad Aaron: Tu, et filii tui, et domus patris tui tecum portabitis iniquitatem Sanctuarii: et tu et filii tui simul sustinebitis peccata sacerdotii vestri.
And the Lord said to 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 sins of your priesthood.
2 Sed et fratres tuos de tribu Levi, et sceptrum patris tui sume tecum, præstoque sint, et ministrent tibi: tu autem et filii tui ministrabitis in tabernaculo testimonii.
And take with thee thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, and the sceptre of thy father, and let them be ready in hand, and minister to thee: but thou and thy sons shall minister in the tabernacle of the testimony.
3 Excubabuntque Levitæ ad præcepta tua, et ad cuncta opera tabernaculi: ita dumtaxat, ut ad vasa Sanctuarii et ad altare non accedant, ne et illi moriantur, et vos pereatis simul.
And the Levites shall watch to do thy commands, and about all the works of the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary nor the altar, lest both they die, and you also perish with them.
4 Sint autem tecum, et excubent in custodiis tabernaculi, et in omnibus cæremoniis eius. Alienigena non miscebitur vobis.
But let them be with thee, and watch in the charge of the tabernacle, and in all the ceremonies thereof. A stranger shall not join himself with you.
5 Excubate in custodia Sanctuarii, et in ministerio altaris: ne oriatur indignatio super filios Israel.
Watch ye in the charge of the sanctuary, and in the ministry of the altar: lest indignation rise upon the children of Israel.
6 Ego dedi vobis fratres vestros Levitas de medio filiorum Israel, et tradidi donum Domino, ut serviant in ministeriis tabernaculi eius.
I have given you your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel, and have delivered them for a gift to the Lord, to serve in the ministries of the tabernacle.
7 Tu autem et filii tui custodite sacerdotium vestrum: et omnia quæ ad cultum altaris pertinent, et intra velum sunt, per sacerdotes administrabuntur. Si quis externus accesserit, occidetur.
But thou and thy sons look ye to the priesthood: and all things that pertain to the service of the altar, and that are within the veil, shall be executed by the priests. If any stranger shall approach, he shall be slain.
8 Locutusque est Dominus ad Aaron: Ecce dedi tibi custodiam primitiarum mearum. Omnia quæ sanctificantur a filiis Israel, tradidi tibi et filiis tuis pro officio sacerdotali legitima sempiterna.
And the Lord said to Aaron: Behold I have given thee the charge of my firstfruits. All things that are sanctified by the children of Israel, I have delivered to thee and to thy sons for the priestly office, by everlasting ordinances.
9 Hæc ergo accipies de his, quæ sanctificantur et oblata sunt Domino. Omnis oblatio, et sacrificium, et quidquid pro peccato atque delicto redditur mihi, et cedit in Sancta sanctorum, tuum erit, et filiorum tuorum.
These therefore shalt thou take of the things that are sanctified, and are offered to the Lord. Every offering, and sacrifice, and whatsoever is rendered to me for sin and for trespass, and becometh holy of holies, shall be for thee and thy sons.
10 In Sanctuario comedes illud: mares tantum edent ex eo, quia consecratum est tibi.
Thou shalt eat it in the sanctuary: the males only shall eat thereof, because it is a consecrated thing to thee.
11 Primitias autem, quas voverint et obtulerint filii Israel, tibi dedi, et filiis tuis, ac filiabus tuis iure perpetuo. Qui mundus est in domo tua, vescetur eis.
But the firstfruits, which the children of Israel shall vow and offer, I have given to thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters, by a perpetual law. He that is clean in thy house, shall eat them.
12 Omnem medullam olei, et vini, ac frumenti, quidquid offerunt primitiarum Domino, tibi dedi.
All the best of the oil, and of the wine, and of the corn, whatsoever firstfruits they offer to the Lord, I have given them to thee.
13 Universa frugum initia, quas gignit humus, et Domino deportantur, cedent in usus tuos: qui mundus est in domo tua, vescetur eis.
All the firstripe of the fruits, that the ground bringeth forth, and which are brought to the Lord, shall be for thy use: he that is clean in thy house, shall eat them.
14 Omne quod ex voto reddiderint filii Israel, tuum erit.
Every thing that the children of Israel shall give by vow, shall be thine.
15 Quidquid primum erumpit e vulva cunctæ carnis, quam offerunt Domino, sive ex hominibus, sive de pecoribus fuerit, tui iuris erit: ita dumtaxat, ut pro hominis primogenito pretium accipias, et omne animal quod immundum est, redimi facias,
Whatsoever is firstborn of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether it be of men, or of beasts, shall belong to thee: only for the firstborn of man thou shalt take a price, and every beast that is unclean thou shalt cause to be redeemed,
16 cuius redemptio erit post unum mensem, siclis argenti quinque, pondere Sanctuarii. Siclus viginti obolos habet.
And the redemption of it shall be after one month, for five sicles of silver, by the weight of the sanctuary. A sicle hath twenty obols.
17 Primogenitum autem bovis et ovis et capræ non facies redimi, quia sanctificata sunt Domino. Sanguinem tantum eorum fundes super altare, et adipes adolebis in suavissimum odorem Domino.
But the firstling of a cow and of a sheep and of a goat thou shalt not cause to be redeemed, because they are sanctified to the Lord. Their blood only thou shalt pour upon the altar, and their fat thou shalt burn for a most sweet odour to the Lord.
18 Carnes vero in usum tuum cedent, sicut pectusculum consecratum, et armus dexter, tua erunt.
But the flesh shall fall to thy use, as the consecrated breast, and the right shoulder shall be thine.
19 Omnes primitias Sanctuarii, quas offerunt filii Israel Domino, tibi dedi et filiis, ac filiabus tuis iure perpetuo. Pactum salis est sempiternum coram Domino, tibi ac filiis tuis.
All the firstfruits of the sanctuary which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to thee and to thy sons and daughters, by a perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord, to thee and to thy sons.
20 Dixitque Dominus ad Aaron: In terra eorum nihil possidebitis, nec habebitis partem inter eos: ego pars et hereditas tua in medio filiorum Israel.
And the Lord said to Aaron: You shall possess nothing in their land, neither shall you have a portion among them: I am thy portion and inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.
21 Filiis autem Levi dedi omnes decimas Israelis in possessionem pro ministerio quo serviunt mihi in tabernaculo fœderis:
And I have given to the sons of Levi all the tithes of Israel for a possession for the ministry wherewith they serve me in the tabernacle of the covenant:
22 ut non accedant ultra filii Israel ad tabernaculum, nec committant peccatum mortiferum:
That the children of Israel may not approach any more to the tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin,
23 solis filiis Levi mihi in tabernaculo servientibus, et portantibus peccata populi. Legitimum sempiternum erit in generationibus vestris. Nihil aliud possidebunt,
But only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle, and bear the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall not possess any other thing,
24 decimarum oblatione contenti, quas in usus eorum et necessaria separavi.
But be content with the oblation or tithes, which I have separated for their uses and necessities.
25 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
26 Præcipe Levitis, atque denuncia: Cum acceperitis a filiis Israel decimas, quas dedi vobis, primitias earum offerte Domino, id est, decimam partem decimæ,
Command the Levites, and declare unto them: When you shall receive of the children of Israel the tithes, which I have given you, offer the firstfruits of them to the Lord, that is to say, the tenth part of the tenth:
27 ut reputetur vobis in oblationem primitivorum, tam de areis quam de torcularibus:
That it may be reckoned to you as an oblation of firstfruits, as well of the barnfloors as of the winepresses:
28 et universis quorum accipitis primitias, offerte Domino, et date Aaron sacerdoti.
And of all the things of which you receive tithes, offer the firstfruits to the Lord, and give them to Aaron the priest.
29 Omnia quæ offeretis ex decimis, et in donaria Domini separabitis, optima et electa erunt.
All the things that you shall offer of the tithes, and shall separate for the gifts of the Lord, shall be the best and choicest things.
30 Dicesque ad eos: Si præclara et meliora quæque obtuleritis ex decimis, reputabitur vobis quasi de area et torculari dederitis primitias:
And thou shalt say to them: If you offer all the goodly and the better things of the tithes, it shall be reckoned to you as if you had given the firstfruits of the barnfloor and the winepress:
31 et comedetis eas in omnibus locis vestris, tam vos quam familiæ vestræ: quia pretium est pro ministerio, quo servitis in tabernaculo testimonii.
And you shall eat them in all your places, both you and your families: because it is your reward for the ministry, wherewith you serve in the tabernacle of the testimony.
32 Et non peccabitis super hoc, egregia vobis et pinguia reservantes ne polluatis oblationes filiorum Israel, et moriamini.
And you shall not sin in this point, by reserving the choicest and fat things to yourselves, lest you profane the oblations of the children of Israel, and die.
