Portion for the Levites

18 (A)The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall not have a portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the Lords offerings by fire and His [a]property. (B)They shall not have an inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He [b]promised them.

(C)Now this shall be the priests’ portion from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach. You shall give him the (D)first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep. (E)For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to (F)stand to serve in the name of the Lord always.

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

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:1 Or inheritance
  2. Deuteronomy 18:2 Lit spoke to
  3. Deuteronomy 18:6 Lit gates
  4. Deuteronomy 18:6 Lit with all the desire of his soul
  5. Deuteronomy 18:8 Lit portion like portion

Privileges of Priests and Levites

18 “The Levitical priests, that is, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings by fire to the Lord, and his rightful dues. They shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. The first fruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.

“And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place which the Lord will choose, then he may minister in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord. They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:8 Heb obscure