The Priests’ Portion

Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have put you in charge of My [a](A)offerings, all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given to you as a portion and to your sons as a permanent allotment. This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, namely (B)every grain offering, every (C)sin offering, and every guilt offering, with which they shall make restitution 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, that is, 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 permanent 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 what they give to the Lord, I have given 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)Everything banned from secular use in Israel shall be yours. 15 [d](I)Every firstborn of the womb of all flesh, whether human or animal, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours; however you must redeem the human firstborn, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 As to [e]their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your assessment, five [f]shekels in silver by the [g]shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But (J)the firstborn of an ox, 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 offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the Lord. 18 However, their [h]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 permanent allotment. It is (N)a permanent covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your [i]descendants with you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:8 Or uplifted 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 Lit his being redeemed
  6. Numbers 18:16 A shekel is about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  7. Numbers 18:16 A shekel is about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  8. Numbers 18:18 Lit flesh
  9. Numbers 18:19 Lit seed

And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, And I, behold, I have given thee the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them [a]by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, as a portion for ever. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every trespass-offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. 10 As the most holy things shalt thou eat thereof; every male shall eat thereof: it shall be holy unto thee. 11 And this is thine: the heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof. 12 All the [b]best of the oil, and all the [c]best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give unto Jehovah, to thee have I given them. 13 The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring unto Jehovah, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof. 14 Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine. 15 Everything that openeth the womb, of all flesh which they offer unto Jehovah, both of man and beast shall be thine: nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. 16 [d]And those that are to be redeemed of them from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs). 17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Jehovah. 18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be thine. 19 All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto Jehovah, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before Jehovah unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:8 Or, for a portion
  2. Numbers 18:12 Hebrew fat.
  3. Numbers 18:12 Hebrew fat.
  4. Numbers 18:16 Or, And as to their redemption money, from a month old shalt thou redeem them