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Portion of the Levites

18 “The Levitical priests, the entire tribe of Levi, shall own [privately] no portion [of land] or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the Lord’s offerings by fire and His portion. They shall have no inheritance [of land] among their countrymen (brothers, brethren); the Lord is their [a]inheritance, as He promised them.

“Now this shall be the priests’ portion from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. You shall also give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine [the first of the season], and your [olive] oil, and the first sheared fleece of your sheep. For the Lord your God has chosen him, him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the Lord forever.

“Now if a Levite comes from any of your cities throughout Israel where he resides, and comes whenever [b]he wishes to [the sanctuary] the place which the Lord chooses; then he shall serve in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who [c]stand there before the Lord. They shall have [d]equal portions to eat, except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:2 Certain towns and grazing lands were designated for the Levites’ use, as well as portions of the tithes and sacrifices of the people.
  2. Deuteronomy 18:6 Lit it pleases his soul.
  3. Deuteronomy 18:7 The literal Hebrew here is “stand before the face of,” and in this context it implies “stand ready to serve.”
  4. Deuteronomy 18:8 They were to share equally in the benefits of the priesthood.

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