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, (A)a tenth of the tithe. 27 And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the (B)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 [a]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 (C)your [b]reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting. 32 And you shall (D)bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not (E)profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.’ ”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:29 Lit. fat
  2. Numbers 18:31 wages

25 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

26 “Thus speak unto the Levites and say unto them: ‘When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.

27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you as though it were the corn of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the wine press.

28 Thus ye also shall offer a heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive from the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord’S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.’

30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them: ‘When ye have offered the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor and as the increase of the wine press.

31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households, for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.

32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have offered from it the best of it; neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.’”

Read full chapter