The Priests’ Portion

Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My [a](A)offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment. This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even (B)every grain offering and every (C)sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render 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, (D)the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have (E)given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. 12 (F)All the [b]best of the fresh oil and all the [c]best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the Lord, I give them to you. 13 (G)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 (H)Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15 [d](I)Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 As to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, five [e]shekels in silver, according to the [f]shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But (J)the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. (K)You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the Lord. 18 Their [g]meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the (L)breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh. 19 (M)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 perpetual allotment. It is (N)an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your [h]descendants with you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:8 Lit heave offerings, and so throughout the ch
  2. Numbers 18:12 Lit fat
  3. Numbers 18:12 Lit fat
  4. Numbers 18:15 Lit Everything that opens
  5. Numbers 18:16 I.e. A shekel equals approx one-half oz
  6. Numbers 18:16 I.e. A shekel equals approx one-half oz
  7. Numbers 18:18 Lit flesh
  8. Numbers 18:19 Lit seed

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.”

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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