Open English Translation NUM Chapter 18

18 Then Yahweh told Aharon (Aaron), “You and your Levite brothers and cousins and all your descendants must bear the imperfections of the sacred tent, and you and your sons must bear the imperfections of your priesthood. 2 Bring your Levite brothers (your father’s tribe) to work closely with you and to assist you as you and your sons perform your duties at the sacred tent. 3 They must look after the tent, however, they mustn’t approach the furnishings or utensils, or the altar, so that both you and they won’t die. 4 Then must work closely with you and take care of all the duties to do with the sacred tent, but no outsider is allowed to approach. 5 You priests will take care of the sacred place and the altar, and then there won’t be anymore fury against the Israeli people. 6 Now listen, I’ve taken your brothers the Levites out from the rest of the Israelis as a gift for you—they’re given to do the duties at the sacred tent. 7 However, it’s you and your sons who are the priests who must serve for things to do with the altar and inside the curtain. Your priesthood is a gift of service, and any outsider who approaches must be executed.”

8 Then Yahweh told Aharon, “Also listen, I’ve put you in charge of looking after the sacred offerings to me. I’ve given them to you and your sons as your permanent income. 9 Every offering apart from the burnt offerings, will belong to you. That includes their grain offerings, their sin offerings, and their guilt offerings. Once they’re given, they become sacred, and they’re for you and your sons. 10 You and the males in your families may eat that sacred offering but do remember that it’s sacred.

11 “In addition, the people’s raised offerings belong to you, and they are permanently given to your entire families to eat—everyone who’s ‘clean’ may eat them.

12 “All the best of the fresh oil, and the new wine and grain that they give to Yahweh, I give to you. 13 The first portions of all their harvests that they bring to Yahweh, belong to you—everyone in your families who’s ‘clean’ may eat them.

14 “Everything throughout Yisrael that’s dedicated to Yahweh will belong to you.[ref]

15 “Every firstborn male baby, as well as animals, will belong to Yahweh, however you must buy back the human babies as well as the firstborns from the ‘unclean’ livestock. 16 The babies must be bought back when they’re one month old, paying five silver coins of the proper weight according to the scales at the sacred tent. 17 However, the firstborn cows or sheep or goats can’t be bought back. They are sacred—you must sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering that’s a soothing aroma for Yahweh. 18 Their meat will belong to you, just like the breast or the right thigh of the wave offerings are yours. 19 All sacred donations by the Israelis, I’ve permanently given to you and your children to eat—it’s an irrevocable agreement with Yahweh for you and your future ancestors.”

20 Yahweh also told Aharon, “You priests won’t inherit any land or property—I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelis.

21 For an inheritance for the Levites, I’ve given them all the tenths given by the Israelis as their inheritance in exchange for their service at the sacred tent. 22 The other Israelis mustn’t approach that tent or they’ll incur guilt and die, 23 but the Levites must serve at the sacred tent and they must bear their inadequacies. That order applies for all future generations, including the not inheriting any land like the other Israelis. 24 That’s because I’ve given the Levites that tenth that the other Israelis offer to Yahweh as a donation. That’s why I said that they won’t receive any other inheritance.”

25 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 26 “Tell the Levites: ‘When you all receive the tenth from the Israelis that I’ve given to you as you inheritance, then you must offer a tenth of that tenth as a donation to Yahweh. 27 That will be considered as your contribution just as if it was grain from the threshing floor, or juice from the winepress. 28 So when you all offer that donation from all the tenths that you receive from the Israelis, it must then be given as Yahweh’s contribution to the priest Aharon. DOUBLE-CHECK 29 When an offering is presented to Yahweh, it must be the best parts of whatever is given.’ 30 Also tell them, ‘When you all present the best of what was given, it’ll be as it’s come straight from the threshing floor or the winepress. 31 The rest is for your wages for the service you all do at the sacred tent, and you all can eat it whereever you want to. 32 After donating the best tenth from it, you won’t incur guilt for what you all do with the rest of it, however you all mustn’t defile any sacred things or you’ll die.’ ”