Offerings for Priests and Levites

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion,(A) your perpetual share.(B) You are to have the part of the most holy offerings(C) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain(D) or sin[a](E) or guilt offerings,(F) that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.(G) You must regard it as holy.(H)

11 “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings(I) of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share.(J) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean(K) may eat it.

12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain(L) they give the Lord(M) as the firstfruits of their harvest.(N) 13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours.(O) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.(P)

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted[b] to the Lord(Q) is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.(R) But you must redeem(S) every firstborn(T) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.(U) 16 When they are a month old,(V) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels[c](W) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,(X) which weighs twenty gerahs.(Y)

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.(Z) Splash their blood(AA) against the altar and burn their fat(AB) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(AC) 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering(AD) and the right thigh are yours.(AE) 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy(AF) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt(AG) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:9 Or purification
  2. Numbers 18:14 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  3. Numbers 18:16 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams

Ownership for Offerings

Then the Lord told Aaron, “Look! I am indeed placing you in charge of my raised offerings and the holy things concerning the Israelis. Because of your anointing, I’m giving you and your sons a prescribed portion forever. This is what is to belong to you from consecrated offerings spared[a] from the fire: all of their offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings that they render to me. They’re to be considered most sacred to you and your sons. 10 You may eat them as consecrated gifts. Every male may eat them. They’re sacred for you. 11 The raised offering and wave offerings presented by the Israelis are yours, too. I’ve given them to you, to your sons, and to your daughters as a prescribed apportionment forever. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it. 12 All the best[b] oil, wine, grain, and first fruits that they give to the Lord are to belong to you. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it.

13 “The first ripe fruits of everything that the land produces and that they bring to the Lord are yours, too. Everyone who is clean in your household may eat it. 14 Every devoted thing in Israel is yours, too. 15 Everything that opens the womb, any living thing that they bring to the Lord—whether from human beings or animals—are for you. Just be sure that you redeem the firstborn of people and the firstborn of unclean animals. 16 Those that can be redeemed, you are to redeem at the age of one month, based on your estimate—for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, that is, for 20 gerahs. 17 But you are not to redeem the firstborn of a cow, sheep, or a female goat. They are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 18 Their meat is to belong to you, just as the breast wave offering and the right thigh is yours. 19 I’m giving you, your sons, and your daughters as a prescribed portion forever all the raised offerings of the consecrated things that the Israelis offer to the Lord. It’s a salt covenant forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 18:9 The Heb. lacks spared
  2. Numbers 18:12 Lit. fat