Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to Numbers 17-18
Close NASB

Numbers 17-18
New American Standard Bible

Aaron’s Staff Buds

17 [a]Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and obtain from them a staff for each father’s household: twelve staffs, from all their leaders for their fathers’ households. You shall write each man’s name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for there is to be one staff for the head of each of their fathers’ households. 4 You shall then leave them in the tent of meeting in front of (A)the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And it will come about that the staff of (B)the man whom I choose will sprout. So I will relieve Myself of the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.” 6 So Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, for their fathers’ households, twelve staffs in all, with the staff of Aaron among their staffs. 7 Then Moses left the staffs before the Lord in (C)the tent of the testimony.

8 Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, (D)Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had sprouted and produced buds and bloomed with blossoms, and it yielded ripe almonds. 9 Moses then brought out all the staffs from the presence of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put the staff of Aaron (E)back in front of the testimony [b]to be kept as a sign against the [c](F)rebels, so that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me and they do not die.” 11 Moses did so; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

12 Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “(G)Behold, we are passing away, we are perishing, we are all perishing! 13 (H)Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?”

Duties of Levites

18 So the Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your father’s household with you shall (I)bear the guilt [d]in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt [e]in connection with your priesthood. 2 But also bring your brothers with you, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may (J)join you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 And they shall perform duties for you and the duties of the whole tent, but (K)they shall not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and (L)the altar, or both they and you will die. 4 They shall join you and perform the duties of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but [f]an unauthorized person shall not come near you. 5 So you shall perform the (M)duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, (N)so that there will no longer be wrath on the sons of Israel. 6 Behold, I Myself (O)have taken your [g]fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are (P)a gift to you, [h]dedicated to the Lord, to perform the service for the tent of meeting. 7 But you and your sons with you shall (Q)attend to your priesthood for everything that concerns the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as (R)a [i]service that is a gift, and (S)the [j]unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death.”

The Priests’ Portion

8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have put you in charge of My [k](T)offerings, all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given to you as a portion and to your sons as a permanent allotment. 9 This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, namely (U)every grain offering, every (V)sin offering, and every guilt offering, with which they shall make restitution 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, (W)the offering of their gift, that is, all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have (X)given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a permanent allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. 12 (Y)All the [l]best of the fresh oil and all the [m]best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of what they give to the Lord, I have given them to you. 13 (Z)The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. 14 (AA)Everything banned from secular use in Israel shall be yours. 15 [n](AB)Every firstborn of the womb of all flesh, whether human or animal, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours; however you must redeem the human firstborn, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 As to [o]their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your assessment, five [p]shekels in silver by the [q]shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But (AC)the firstborn of an ox, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. (AD)You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the Lord. 18 However, their [r]meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the (AE)breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh. 19 (AF)All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a permanent allotment. It is (AG)a permanent covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your [s]descendants with you.” 20 Then the Lord said to Aaron, “(AH)You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; (AI)I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

21 “To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the (AJ)tithe in Israel as an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. 22 And (AK)the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bring sin on themselves and die. 23 Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall (AL)bear their own guilt; it shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel (AM)they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘(AN)They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’”

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take from the sons of Israel (AO)the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the Lord, a (AP)tithe of the tithe. 27 Your offering shall be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor or the full produce from the wine vat. 28 So you shall also present an offering to the Lord from all your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give the Lord’s offering to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the Lord, from all the [t]best of them, [u]the sacred part from them.’ 30 And you shall say to them, ‘When you have [v]offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be credited to the Levites like the product of the threshing floor, and like the product of the wine vat. 31 You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your compensation in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 And you will bring on yourselves no sin by reason of it when you have [w]offered the [x]best of it. But you shall not (AQ)profane the sacred gifts of the sons of Israel, so that you do not die.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 17:1 Ch 17:16 in Heb
  2. Numbers 17:10 Lit for preserving
  3. Numbers 17:10 Lit sons of rebellion
  4. Numbers 18:1 Lit of the sanctuary
  5. Numbers 18:1 Lit of your priesthood
  6. Numbers 18:4 Lit a stranger
  7. Numbers 18:6 Lit brothers the
  8. Numbers 18:6 Lit given
  9. Numbers 18:7 Lit service of a gift
  10. Numbers 18:7 Lit stranger
  11. Numbers 18:8 Or uplifted offerings, and so throughout the ch
  12. Numbers 18:12 Lit fat
  13. Numbers 18:12 Lit fat
  14. Numbers 18:15 Lit Everything that opens
  15. Numbers 18:16 Lit his being redeemed
  16. Numbers 18:16 A shekel is about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  17. Numbers 18:16 A shekel is about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  18. Numbers 18:18 Lit flesh
  19. Numbers 18:19 Lit seed
  20. Numbers 18:29 Lit fat
  21. Numbers 18:29 Lit its
  22. Numbers 18:30 Lit lifted
  23. Numbers 18:32 Lit lifted
  24. Numbers 18:32 Lit fat
Listen to Numbers 17-18
Close NIV

Numbers 17-18
New International Version

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17 [a]The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs(A) from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes.(B) Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name,(C) for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting(D) in front of the ark of the covenant law,(E) where I meet with you.(F) 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose(G) will sprout,(H) and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling(I) against you by the Israelites.”

6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.(J)

8 The next day Moses entered the tent(K) and saw that Aaron’s staff,(L) which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.(M) 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs(N) from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.

10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff(O) in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious.(P) This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!(Q) 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die.(R) Are we all going to die?”

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary,(S) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister(T) before the tent of the covenant law. 3 They are to be responsible to you(U) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,(V) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.(W) 4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.(X)

5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,(Y) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,(Z) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.(AA) 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.(AB) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.(AC) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.(AD)”

Offerings for Priests and Levites

8 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,(AE) your perpetual share.(AF) 9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings(AG) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain(AH) or sin[b](AI) or guilt offerings,(AJ) that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.(AK) You must regard it as holy.(AL)

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

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

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[c] to the Lord(AU) is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.(AV) But you must redeem(AW) every firstborn(AX) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.(AY) 16 When they are a month old,(AZ) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels[d](BA) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,(BB) which weighs twenty gerahs.(BC)

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.(BD) Splash their blood(BE) against the altar and burn their fat(BF) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(BG) 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering(BH) and the right thigh are yours.(BI) 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy(BJ) 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(BK) 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;(BL) I am your share and your inheritance(BM) among the Israelites.

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes(BN) in Israel as their inheritance(BO) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.(BP) 22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.(BQ) 23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance(BR) for the generations to come.(BS) They will receive no inheritance(BT) among the Israelites.(BU) 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.(BV) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you(BW) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.(BX) 27 Your offering will be reckoned(BY) to you as grain from the threshing floor(BZ) or juice from the winepress.(CA) 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes(CB) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

30 “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.(CC) 31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.(CD) 32 By presenting the best part(CE) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;(CF) then you will not defile the holy offerings(CG) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 17:1 In Hebrew texts 17:1-13 is numbered 17:16-28.
  2. Numbers 18:9 Or purification
  3. Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  4. Numbers 18:16 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
Next
Numbers 16
Numbers 19
Next
dropdown
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV