Numbers 18:8-19
Contemporary English Version
The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the Lord
(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)
8-9 The Lord said to Aaron:
I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. 10 Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.
11 You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. 12 For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. 13 And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
14 (A) Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me[a] will now belong to you.
15 The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But every first-born son and first-born donkey[b] must be bought back from me. 16 The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 17 However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. 18 You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.
19 From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 18.14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19).
- 18.15 donkey: The Hebrew text has “unclean animal,” which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20).
Numbers 18:8-19
New King James Version
Offerings for Support of the Priests
8 And the Lord spoke to Aaron: “Here, (A)I Myself have also given you [a]charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them (B)as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every (C)grain offering and every (D)sin offering and every (E)trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons. 10 (F)In a most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
11 “This also is yours: (G)the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. (H)Everyone who is [b]clean in your house may eat it.
12 (I)“All the [c]best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, (J)their firstfruits which they offer to the Lord, I have given them to you. 13 Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, (K)which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
14 (L)“Every [d]devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
15 “Everything that first opens (M)the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the Lord, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless (N)the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 And those redeemed of the devoted things you shall redeem when one month old, (O)according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is (P)twenty gerahs. 17 (Q)But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. (R)You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord. 18 And their flesh shall be yours, just as the (S)wave[e] breast and the right thigh are yours.
19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; (T)it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 18:8 custody
- Numbers 18:11 purified
- Numbers 18:12 Lit. fat
- Numbers 18:14 consecrated
- Numbers 18:18 breast of the wave offering
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
