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The work of the priests and the Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your family will be guilty for any wrong thing that happens in my Holy Tent. You and your sons will be guilty for any wrong thing that a priest does. Bring the people of your tribe, the Levites, to the Tent of Meeting. They must take care of the Tent of Meeting on your behalf. You must tell them what they should do. They must not go near anything that is inside God's Holy Place or the altar. If they do, they will die, and you will die too. The Levites must work with you as they take care of the Tent of Meeting. No other people have authority to come near you as you work there.

You must take care of God's Holy Place and the altar. Then I will not be angry with the Israelites again. I have chosen your family, the Levites, from among the other Israelite tribes. They are the Lord's gift to you, to help you take care of the Tent of Meeting. But only you, Aaron, and your sons will serve me as priests. You will work at the altar and in the Holy Place behind the curtain. I have chosen you to serve me as my priests. That is my gift to you. Any other person who comes near the Holy Place must die.’

Offerings for priests and for Levites

The Lord said to Aaron, ‘I give you authority over the things that people offer to me. As priests, part of the gifts that people bring will belong to you and your sons. This rule will always be true for you and your descendants. I am giving to you the parts that do not burn on the altar. A part of all these gifts will belong to you: grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings. These are holy gifts and they belong to you and to your sons. 10 All the men in your family may eat these gifts. Remember that they are holy gifts.

11 Also, you will receive part of the special gifts that the Israelites lift up in front of me. I have given it to you and to your sons and daughters, for all time. Every person who lives in your house may eat it. But they must be clean at the time.

12 I will give to you the best olive oil, the best wine and the best grain. The people give to the Lord the first part of these that they get. 13 I also give to you the best parts of the food that people bring to the Lord. Any clean person who lives in your house may eat them.

14 Everything in Israel that should belong to me is now yours. 15 I give to you every firstborn animal and male child that people offer to the Lord. But you must pay the price for every firstborn son and for every firstborn male animal that is not clean. 16 When they are one month old, you must buy them from me for five shekels of silver each. The shekel must have the same weight as the shekel that the Levites use in God's Holy Tent. There are 20 gerahs in one shekel.

17 You must not pay for the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat. Those animals are holy. Splash the blood from those animals on the altar and burn the fat from them. The smell will make the Lord happy. 18 And the meat of those animals belongs to you. In the same way, the meat of the ribs and the right back leg of the special gifts that you lift up to me also belong to you.[a]

19 I have given all the gifts that the Israelites offer to the Lord to you, your sons and your daughters. That is a rule for all time. That is the Lord's special promise to you and to your descendants for all time.’

20 Then the Lord said to Aaron, ‘You priests and your descendants will have no land, like the other tribes do. You will not share in the things that they receive. I myself am the gift that you receive.

21 The Israelites give to me one tenth of everything that they receive. I will give it to the Levites because they serve me in the Tent of Meeting. 22 The other Israelites must not come near the Tent of Meeting again. If they do come near it, they will be guilty and then they will die. 23 Only the Levites must do the work in the Tent of Meeting. And if they do anything wrong there, they will be guilty. That will be a rule for you and for all your descendants. The Levites will not receive any land like the other Israelites do. 24 That is because I have given to the Levites the tithes that the Israelites offer to the Lord. I have told them, “You will not receive any land, like the other Israelites do.” I have given the tithes to them instead.’

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 ‘You must say to the Levites, “You will receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given to you from them. I have not given any land to you. I have given the tithes to you instead. When you receive those tithes, you must offer one tenth of it to the Lord. That will be a tithe of the tithe. 27 This gift will be the same as when a farmer is giving grain or wine to me. It will be special. 28 So you will give something to the Lord from the tithes that you receive from the Israelites. You must give that part to Aaron the priest. 29 From all the gifts that the people give to you, you must make separate every offering that the Lord should have. The best part of each gift is the part that you must make separate for the Lord.”

30 You must say to the Levites, “After you have made the best part of the gift separate for the priests, the other part will belong to the Levites. That will be the grain and the wine that you receive for your food. 31 That is what you receive because you take care of the Tent of Meeting. You and your family may eat it anywhere that you choose. 32 You will not be guilty when you eat it. That is because you have offered the best part of it to God. But you must do that in the right way. The gifts that you receive from the Israelites are holy. If you do not do the right things with them, you will die.” ’

Footnotes

  1. 18:18 See Numbers 6:20.

18 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Aaron, Ikaw at ang iyong mga anak at ang sangbahayan ng iyong mga magulang na kasama mo ay magtataglay ng kasamaan ng santuario: at ikaw at ang iyong mga anak na kasama mo ay magtataglay ng kasamaan ng inyong pagkasaserdote.

At ang iyong mga kapatid naman, ang lipi ni Levi, ang lipi ng iyong ama, ay palalapitin mo sa iyo upang sila'y lumakip sa iyo at mangasiwa sa iyo: nguni't ikaw at ang iyong mga anak na kasama mo, ay lalagay sa harap ng tabernakulo ng patotoo.

At kanilang iingatan ang iyong katungkulan, at ang katungkulan ng buong tolda: huwag lamang silang lalapit sa mga kasangkapan ng santuario ni sa dambana, upang huwag silang mamatay, ni maging kayo.

At sila'y lalakip sa iyo, at mag-iingat ng katungkulan sa tabernakulo ng kapisanan, sa buong paglilingkod sa tolda: at sinomang taga ibang lupa ay huwag lalapit sa inyo.

At inyong iingatan ang katungkulan ng santuario, at ang katungkulan ng dambana; upang huwag nang magkaroon pa ng kagalitan sa mga anak ni Israel.

At ako, narito, aking pinili ang inyong mga kapatid na mga Levita sa gitna ng mga anak ni Israel: sa inyo sila ay isang kaloob, na bigay sa Panginoon, upang gawin ang paglilingkod sa tabernakulo ng kapisanan.

At iingatan mo at ng iyong mga anak na kasama mo at ang inyong pagkasaserdote sa bawa't bagay ng dambana; at doon sa nasa loob ng tabing; at kayo'y maglilingkod: aking ibinibigay sa inyo ang pagkasaserdote na parang isang paglilingkod na kaloob: at ang taga ibang lupa na lumapit ay papatayin.

At sinalita ng Panginoon kay Aaron, At ako'y, narito, aking ibinigay sa iyo ang katungkulan sa mga handog na itinaas sa aking, lahat ng mga banal na bagay ng mga anak ni Israel; aking ibinigay sa iyo dahil sa pagpapahid, at sa iyong mga anak na marapat na bahagi ninyo, magpakailan man.

Ito'y magiging iyo sa mga pinakabanal na bagay, na hindi pinaraan sa apoy: bawa't alay nila, bawa't handog na harina nila, at bawa't handog nila dahil sa kasalanan, at bawa't handog nila dahil sa pagkakasala na kanilang ihahandog sa akin, ay magiging pinaka banal sa iyo at sa iyong mga anak.

10 Gaya ng mga kabanalbanalang bagay ay kakain ka ng mga iyan: bawa't lalake ay kakain niyaon magiging banal na bagay sa iyo.

11 At ito ay iyo; ang handog na itinaas na kanilang kaloob, sa makatuwid baga'y ang lahat ng mga handog na inalog ng mga anak ni Israel: aking ibinigay sa iyo, at sa iyong mga anak na lalake at babae na kasama mo na marapat na bahagi magpakailan man: bawa't malinis sa iyong bahay ay kakain niyaon.

12 Lahat ng pinakamainam sa langis, at lahat ng pinakamainam sa alak, at sa trigo, ang mga pinakaunang bunga ng mga yaon na kanilang ibibigay sa Panginoon, ay ibibigay ko sa iyo.

13 Ang mga unang hinog na bunga ng lahat na nasa kanilang lupain, na kanilang dinadala sa Panginoon, ay magiging iyo; bawa't malinis sa iyong bahay ay kakain niyaon.

14 Lahat ng mga bagay na natatalaga sa Israel ay magiging iyo.

15 Lahat ng mga bagay na nagbubukas ng bahay-bata, sa lahat ng laman na kanilang inihahandog sa Panginoon, sa mga tao at gayon din sa mga hayop, ay magiging iyo: gayon man ang panganay sa tao ay tunay na iyong tutubusin, at ang panganay sa maruruming hayop ay iyong tutubusin.

16 At yaong mga matutubos sa kanila, mula sa isang buwang gulang ay iyong tutubusin, ayon sa iyong pagkahalaga, ng limang siklong pilak, ayon sa siklo ng santuario (na dalawang pung gera).

17 Nguni't ang panganay ng baka, o ang panganay ng tupa, o ang panganay ng kambing ay huwag mong tutubusin; mga banal: iyong iwiwisik ang kanilang dugo sa ibabaw ng dambana, at iyong susunugin ang kanilang taba na pinakahandog na pinaraan sa apoy, na pinakamasarap na amoy sa Panginoon.

18 At ang laman nila ay magiging iyo, gaya ng dibdib na inalog at gaya ng kanang hita ay magiging iyo.

19 Lahat ng mga handog na itinaas sa mga banal na bagay na ihahandog ng mga anak ni Israel sa Panginoon, ay aking ibinigay sa iyo, at sa iyong mga anak na lalake at babae na kasama mo, na marapat na bahagi magpakailan man: tipan ng asin magpakailan man sa harap ng Panginoon sa iyo, at sa iyong binhi na kasama mo.

20 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Aaron, Huwag kang magkakaroon ng mana sa kanilang lupain, ni magkakaroon ka ng anomang bahagi sa gitna nila: ako ang iyong bahagi at ang iyong mana sa gitna ng mga anak ni Israel.

21 At sa mga anak ni Levi, ay narito, aking ibinigay ang lahat ng ikasangpung bahagi sa Israel na pinakamana, na ganti sa kanilang paglilingkod na kanilang ipinaglilingkod, sa makatuwid baga'y sa paglilingkod sa tabernakulo ng kapisanan.

22 At sa haharapin ay huwag lalapit ang mga anak ni Israel sa tabernakulo ng kapisanan, baka sila'y magtaglay ng kasalanan, at mamatay.

23 Nguni't gagawin ng mga Levita ang paglilingkod ng tabernakulo ng kapisanan; at kanilang tataglayin ang kanilang kasamaan: ito'y magiging palatuntunan magpakailan man sa buong panahon ng inyong mga lahi, at sa gitna ng mga anak ni Israel ay hindi sila magkakaroon ng mana.

24 Sapagka't ang ikasangpung bahagi ng tinatangkilik ng mga anak ni Israel na kanilang ihahandog na pinakahandog na itinaas sa Panginoon, ay aking ibinigay sa mga Levita na pinakamana: kaya't aking sinabi sa kanila, Sa gitna ng mga anak ni Israel ay hindi sila magkakaroon ng mana.

25 At sinalita ng Panginoon kay Moises, na sinasabi,

26 Bukod dito'y sasalitain mo sa mga Levita, at sasabihin mo sa kanila, Pagkuha ninyo sa mga anak ni Israel ng ikasangpung bahagi na aking ibinigay sa inyo mula sa kanila na inyong pinakamana, ay inyong ihahandog nga na pinakahandog na itinaas sa Panginoon, ang ikasangpung bahagi ng ikasangpung bahagi.

27 At ang inyong handog na itinaas ay ibibilang sa inyo, na parang trigo ng giikan at ng kasaganaan ng pisaan ng ubas.

28 Ganito rin kayo maghahandog ng handog na itinaas sa Panginoon sa inyong buong ikasangpung bahagi, na inyong tinatanggap sa mga anak ni Israel; at ganito ibibigay ninyo ang handog na itinaas sa Panginoon kay Aaron na saserdote.

29 Sa lahat ng inyong natanggap na kaloob ay inyong ihahandog ang bawa't handog na itinaas sa Panginoon, ang lahat ng pinakamainam niyaon, sa makatuwid baga'y ang banal na bahagi niyaon.

30 Kaya't iyong sasabihin sa kanila, Pagka inyong naitaas ang pinakamainam sa handog, ay ibibilang nga sa mga Levita, na parang bunga ng giikan, at parang pakinabang sa pisaan ng ubas.

31 At inyong kakanin saa't saan man, ninyo at ng inyong mga kasangbahay: sapagka't kabayaran sa inyo, na ganti sa inyong paglilingkod sa tabernakulo ng kapisanan.

32 At hindi kayo magtataglay ng kasalanan dahil dito, pagka inyong naitaas ang pinakamainam sa mga yaon: at huwag ninyong lalapastanganin ang mga banal na bagay ng mga anak ni Israel, upang huwag kayong mamatay.

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 Then the Lord said to Aaron: (A)“You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall (B)bear the [a]iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood. Also bring with you your brethren of the (C)tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be (D)joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of [b]witness. They shall attend to your [c]needs and (E)all the needs of the tabernacle; (F)but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, (G)lest they die—they and you also. They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; (H)but an outsider shall not come near you. And you shall attend to (I)the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, (J)that there may be no more wrath on the children of Israel. Behold, I Myself have (K)taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; (L)they are a gift to you, given by the Lord, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting. Therefore (M)you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and (N)behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a (O)gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Offerings for Support of the Priests

And the Lord spoke to Aaron: “Here, (P)I Myself have also given you [d]charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them (Q)as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever. This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every (R)grain offering and every (S)sin offering and every (T)trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons. 10 (U)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: (V)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. (W)Everyone who is [e]clean in your house may eat it.

12 (X)“All the [f]best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, (Y)their firstfruits which they offer to the Lord, I have given them to you. 13 Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, (Z)which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.

14 (AA)“Every [g]devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.

15 “Everything that first opens (AB)the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the Lord, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless (AC)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, (AD)according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is (AE)twenty gerahs. 17 (AF)But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. (AG)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 (AH)wave[h] 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; (AI)it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”

20 Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have (AJ)no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; (AK)I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.

Tithes for Support of the Levites

21 “Behold, (AL)I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as [i]an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, (AM)the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 22 (AN)Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, (AO)lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites [j]as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ ”

The Tithe of the Levites

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, (AP)a tenth of the tithe. 27 And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the (AQ)threshing floor and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the Lord from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the Lord’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest. 29 Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the Lord, from all the [k]best of them, the consecrated part of them.’ 30 Therefore you shall say to them: ‘When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. 31 You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is (AR)your [l]reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting. 32 And you shall (AS)bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not (AT)profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:1 guilt
  2. Numbers 18:2 testimony
  3. Numbers 18:3 service
  4. Numbers 18:8 custody
  5. Numbers 18:11 purified
  6. Numbers 18:12 Lit. fat
  7. Numbers 18:14 consecrated
  8. Numbers 18:18 breast of the wave offering
  9. Numbers 18:21 a possession
  10. Numbers 18:24 for a possession
  11. Numbers 18:29 Lit. fat
  12. Numbers 18:31 wages