18
1 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 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 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 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 “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 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 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 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 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 You
shall eat of it
like the most
holy things. Every
male shall eat of
it. It shall
be holy to
you.
11 “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 “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 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 “Everything
devoted in Israel
shall be yours.
15 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 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
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 Their
meat shall
be yours, as the
wave offering
breast and as
the right thigh,
it shall be yours.
19 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 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 “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 Henceforth
the children of
Israel shall not
come near the Tent
of Meeting, lest
they bear sin,
and die.
23 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 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 The
LORD spoke to
Moses, saying,
26 “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 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
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 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 “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 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 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.’ ”