Numbers 18:1-13 ▼

1 So Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood.

2 But bring near with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and minister to you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.

3 And they shall thus keep your responsibility and the responsibility of all the tent, but they shall not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, so that neither they nor you will die.

4 And they shall be joined with you and keep the responsibility of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you.

5 So you shall keep the responsibility of the sanctuary and the responsibility of the altar, so that there will no longer be wrath on the sons of Israel.

6 And behold, I Myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to Yahweh, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.

7 But you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood in everything that concerns the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

8 Then Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have given you the responsibility of My contributions, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual statute.

9 This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.

10 As the most holy gifts you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.

11 This also is yours, the contribution from their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual statute. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.

12 All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to Yahweh, I give them to you.

13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.