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.
The Lord told Aaron, “You and your sons and the other Levites bear the responsibility for sins relating to the sanctuary. You and your sons alone bear the responsibility for sins relating to your priesthood.
2 sed et fratres tuos de tribu Levi, et sceptrum patris tui sume tecum, praestoque sint, et ministrent tibi: tu autem et filii tui ministrabitis in tabernaculo testimonii.
Have your brothers from the tribe of Levi, your father's tribe, join you to help you and your sons with your service in the Tent of the Testimony.
3 Excubabuntque Levitae ad praecepta 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.
They will take care of your responsibilities and those relating to the Tent, but they must not come too close to the sacred objects of the sanctuary or the altar, otherwise they will die, and you will too.
4 sint autem tecum, et excubent in custodiis tabernaculi, et in omnibus ceremoniis eius. Alienigena non miscebitur vobis.
They are to help you and take care of the responsibilities of the Tent of Meeting, doing all the work at the Tent, but they are not allowed to be with you during your priestly ministry.
5 Excubate in custodia Sanctuarii, et in ministerio altaris: ne oriatur indignatio super filios Israel.
You are to carry out the responsibilities relating to the sanctuary and the altar, so that my anger will not fall on the Israelites again.
6 Ego dedi vobis fratres vestros Levitas de medio filiorum Israel, et tradidi donum Domino, ut serviant in ministeriis tabernaculi eius.
Look, I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from the Israelites as my gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to do the work that relates the Tent of Meeting.
7 Tu autem et filii tui custodite sacerdotium vestrum: et omnia quae ad cultum altaris pertinent, et intra velum sunt, per sacerdotes administrabuntur. si quis externus accesserit, occidetur.
But only you and your sons are responsible for your priesthood, doing all that concerns the altar and is behind the veil. Only you are to perform that service. I am giving you the gift of your priesthood, but anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be executed.”
8 Locutusque est Dominus ad Aaron: Ecce dedi tibi custodiam primitiarum mearum. Omnia quae sanctificantur a filiis Israel, tradidi tibi et filiis tuis pro officio sacerdotali legitima sempiterna.
The Lord told Aaron, “Listen, I have put you in charge of officiating at my offerings. All the holy contributions of the Israelites that they bring are reserved for you, and this is a permanent rule.
9 Haec ergo accipies de his, quae 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.
Part of the most holy offerings taken from the burnt offerings are yours. Part of all the offerings they give me as most holy offerings, whether it's grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.
10 In Sanctuario comedes illud: mares tantum edent ex eo, quia consecratum est tibi.
You shall eat it in a most holy place. Every male is allowed to eat it. You are to regard it as something holy.
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.
The following also belongs to you: the voluntary gifts as well as all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent rule. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean is allowed to eat it.
12 Omnem medullam olei, et vini, ac frumenti, quidquid offerunt primitiarum Domino, tibi dedi.
I am giving you all the best olive oil and all the best new wine and grain that the Israelites give as firstfruits to the Lord.
13 Universa frugum initia, quae gignit humus, et Domino deportantur, cedent in usus tuos: qui mundus est in domo tua, vescetur eis.
The firstfruits of all the crops they produce in their land that they bring to the Lord are yours. Everyone in your family who is ceremonially clean is allowed to eat them.
14 Omne quod ex voto reddiderint filii Israel, tuum erit.
Everything in Israel that is dedicated to the Lord is yours.
15 Quidquid primum erumpit e vulva cunctae 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,
Every firstborn, whether human or animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must buy back every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.
16 cuius redemptio erit post unum mensem, siclis argenti quinque, pondere Sanctuarii. Siclus viginti obolos habet.
When they are one month old you shall pay the redemption price of five shekels of silver, (using the sanctuary shekel standard), equivalent to twenty gerahs.
17 Primogenitum autem bovis et ovis et caprae non facies redimi, quia sanctificata sunt Domino. sanguinem tantum eorum fundes super altare, et adipes adolebis in suavissimum odorem Domino.
But you are not allowed to redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat because they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a burnt offering accepted by the Lord.
18 Carnes vero in usum tuum cedent, sicut pectusculum consecratum, et armus dexter, tua erunt.
Their meat is yours, in the same way that the breast and right thigh of the wave offering are yours.
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.
I am giving all the voluntary gifts that the Israelites present to the Lord to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent rule. It is a permanent agreement of salt before the Lord for you and your descendants.”
20 Dixitque Dominus ad Aaron: In terra eorum nihil possidebitis, nec habebitis partem inter eos: ego pars et hereditas tua in medio filiorum Israel.
“You won't possess property in their country, and you won't have a share in their land. I am your share and your possession among the Israelites.
21 Filiis autem Levi dedi omnes decimas Israelis in possessionem pro ministerio quo serviunt mihi in tabernaculo foederis:
Instead I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel as compensation for the service they provide in doing the work in the Tent of Meeting.
22 ut non accedant ultra filii Israel ad tabernaculum, nec committant peccatum mortiferum,
The Israelites are no longer allowed to approach the Tent of Meeting, or they will commit an offense and die.
23 solis filiis Levi mihi in tabernaculo servientibus, et portantibus peccata populi. legitimum sempiternum erit in generationibus vestris. Nihil aliud possidebunt,
The Levites are to carry out the work in the Tent of Meeting, and they must take responsibility for any sins involved. This is a permanent rule for all future generations. The Levites won't receive a share of land among the Israelites.
24 decimarum oblatione contenti, quas in usus eorum et necessaria separavi.
Instead I have given to the Levites as their compensation the tithe that the Israelites give to the Lord as a contribution. That's why I told them that they wouldn't receive a share of land among the Israelites.”
25 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
The Lord told Moses,
26 Praecipe Levitis, atque denuncia: Cum acceperitis a filiis Israel decimas, quas dedi vobis, primitias earum offerte Domino, id est, decimam partem decimae,
“Talk to the Levites and explain to them, ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you as your compensation, you must return part of it as an offering to the Lord: a tithe of the tithe.
27 ut reputetur vobis in oblationem primitivorum, tam de areis quam de torcularibus:
Your offering will be considered as if it were the firstfruits of grain from your threshing floor or grape juice from the winepress.
28 et universis quorum accipitis primitias, offerte Domino, et date ea Aaron sacerdoti.
In this way you are to contribute an offering to the Lord from every tithe you receive from the Israelites, giving the Lord's offering to Aaron the priest.
29 Omnia quae offeretis ex decimis, et in donaria Domini separabitis, optima et electa erunt cuncta.
From all the gifts you receive you are to contribute as the Lord's offering the very best, the holiest part of every gift.’
30 Dicesque ad eos: Si praeclara et meliora quaeque obtuleritis ex decimis, reputabitur vobis quasi de area et torculari dederitis primitias:
So tell the Levites, ‘When you have presented the best part, it will be considered as your contribution produced by your threshing floor or winepress.
31 et comedetis eas in omnibus locis vestris, tam vos quam familiae vestrae: quia pretium est pro ministerio, quo servitis in tabernaculo testimonii.
You and your families may eat it anywhere because it's compensation for your service in the Tent of Meeting.
32 Et non peccabitis super hoc, egregia vobis et pinguia reservantes ne polluatis oblationes filiorum Israel, et moriamini.
You will not be considered to have sinned if you have presented the best part of it. But if you treat the sacred offerings of the Israelites with disrespect you will die.’”
