20 The Lord told Aaron, “You will not have an inheritance in their land; there will be no portion among them for you. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.(A)

21 “Look, I have given the Levites every tenth in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the tent of meeting. 22 The Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting, or they will incur guilt and die. 23 The Levites will do the work of the tent of meeting, and they will bear the consequences of their sin. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites;(B) this is a permanent statute throughout your generations. 24 For I have given them the tenth that the Israelites present to the Lord as a contribution for their inheritance. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.”

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Land Prohibited to Descendants of Levi

20 Then the Lord instructed Aaron, “You are not to have any inheritance in the land, nor are you to have any portion among the people.[a] I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelis. 21 As to the descendants of Levi, certainly I’ve given all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for their services that they perform at the Tent of Meeting. 22 Therefore, the Israelis need no longer come to the Tent of Meeting, so they won’t suffer the consequences of their sin and die. 23 The descendants of Levi are to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting and they are to bear their iniquity. This is to be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that they are not to receive an inheritance among the Israelis, 24 because I’ve given to the descendants of Levi the tithes that the Israelis bring to the Lord as raised offering. Therefore I told them that, unlike the Israelis, they won’t receive an inheritance.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:20 Lit. among them

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

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes(C) in Israel as their inheritance(D) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.(E) 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.(F) 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(G) for the generations to come.(H) They will receive no inheritance(I) among the Israelites.(J) 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.(K) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

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