Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord.

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He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion(A) due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.

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For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

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“For the lips of a priest(A) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger(B) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.(C)

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And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their's, every meat offering of their's, and every sin offering of their's, and every trespass offering of their's which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.

10 In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.

11 And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.

13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.

14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.

15 Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.

16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.

17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the Lord.

18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.

19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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Offerings for Priests and Levites

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion,(A) your perpetual share.(B) You are to have the part of the most holy offerings(C) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain(D) or sin[a](E) or guilt offerings,(F) that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.(G) You must regard it as holy.(H)

11 “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings(I) of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share.(J) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean(K) may eat it.

12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain(L) they give the Lord(M) as the firstfruits of their harvest.(N) 13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours.(O) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.(P)

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[b] to the Lord(Q) is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.(R) But you must redeem(S) every firstborn(T) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.(U) 16 When they are a month old,(V) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels[c](W) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,(X) which weighs twenty gerahs.(Y)

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.(Z) Splash their blood(AA) against the altar and burn their fat(AB) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(AC) 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering(AD) and the right thigh are yours.(AE) 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy(AF) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt(AG) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them;(AH) I am your share and your inheritance(AI) among the Israelites.

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes(AJ) in Israel as their inheritance(AK) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.(AL)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:9 Or purification
  2. Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  3. Numbers 18:16 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams

Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

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Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.(A)

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For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

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For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[a](A) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?(B) 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,(C) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.(D) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?(E) 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.(F) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder(G) the gospel of Christ.

13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?(H) 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:9 Deut. 25:4

10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.

11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.

13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

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10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them,(A) and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.(B) 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?”(C) Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

12 All Judah brought the tithes(D) of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms.(E) 13 I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.(F)

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26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.

27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.

28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

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26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you(A) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.(B) 27 Your offering will be reckoned(C) to you as grain from the threshing floor(D) or juice from the winepress.(E) 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes(F) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest.

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Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

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“Will a mere mortal rob(A) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes(B) and offerings. You are under a curse(C)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(D) into the storehouse,(E) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(F) of heaven and pour out(G) so much blessing(H) that there will not be room enough to store it.(I)

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16 Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the Lord, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;

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16 In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records(A)—all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions.

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30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord.

31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.

32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.

33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

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30 “‘A tithe(A) of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy(B) to the Lord. 31 Whoever would redeem(C) any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value(D) to it. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod(E)—will be holy to the Lord. 33 No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution.(F) If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.(G)’”

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