Provisions for the Levites

18 “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, will have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They will eat the Lord’s food offerings; that is their[a][b] inheritance. Although Levi has no inheritance among his brothers, the Lord is his inheritance, as he promised him.(A) This is the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox, a sheep, or a goat; the priests are to be given the shoulder, jaws, and stomach. You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and fresh oil,(B) and the first sheared wool of your flock. For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes to stand and minister in his name from now on.[c] When a Levite leaves one of your towns in Israel where he was staying and wants to go to the place the Lord chooses, he may serve in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who minister there in the presence of the Lord. They will eat equal portions besides what he has received from the sale of the family estate.[d](C)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:1 LXX; MT reads his
  2. 18:1 Or his
  3. 18:5 Lit name all the days
  4. 18:8 Hb obscure

Gifts for the Priests and Levites

18 “Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the Lord, for that is their share. They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.

“These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. You must also give to the priests the first share of the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and the wool at shearing time. For the Lord your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the Lord’s name forever.

“Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship. He may minister there in the name of the Lord his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the Lord there. He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family.

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