So the LORD said
to Aaron
, "You and your sons
and your father's
household
with you shall abear
the guilt
1in connection with the sanctuary
, and you and your sons
with you shall bear
the guilt
2in connection with your priesthood
.
"But bring with you also
your brothers
, the tribe
of Levi
, the tribe
of your father
, that they may be ajoined
with you and serve
you, while you and your sons
with you are before
the tent
of the testimony
.
"And they shall thus attend to your obligation
and the obligation
of all
the tent
, but athey shall not come
near
to the furnishings
of the sanctuary
and bthe altar
, or
both
they and you will die
.
"They shall be joined with you and attend
to the obligations
of the tent
of meeting
, for all
the service
of the tent
; but an 1outsider
may not come
near
you.
"So you shall attend to the aobligations
of the sanctuary
and the obligations
of the altar
, bso that there will no
longer
be wrath
on the sons
of Israel
.
"Behold, I Myself
ahave taken
your 1fellow
Levites
from among
the sons
of Israel
; they are ba gift
to you, 2dedicated
to the LORD
, to perform
the service
for the tent
of meeting
.
"But you and your sons with you shall aattend
to your priesthood
for everything
concerning
the altar
and inside
the veil
, and you are to perform
service
. I am giving
you the priesthood
as ba 1bestowed
service
, but cthe 2outsider
who comes
near
shall be put
to death
."
Then the LORD spoke
to Aaron
, "Now behold
, I Myself
have given
you charge
of My 1 aofferings
, even all
the holy
gifts of the sons
of Israel
I have given
them to you as a portion
and to your sons
as a perpetual
allotment
.
"This shall be yours from the most
holy
gifts reserved from the fire
; every
offering
of theirs, even aevery
grain offering
and every
bsin
offering
and every
guilt
offering
, which
they shall render
to Me, shall be most
holy
for you and for your sons
.
"As the most holy
gifts you shall eat
it; every
male
shall eat
it. It shall be holy
to you.
"This also is yours, athe offering
of their gift
, even all
the wave
offerings
of the sons
of Israel
; I have bgiven
them to you and to your sons
and daughters
with you as a perpetual
allotment
. Everyone
of your household
who is clean
may eat
it.
" aAll the 1best
of the fresh
oil
and all
the 1best
of the fresh
wine
and of the grain
, the first
fruits
of those which
they give
to the LORD
, I give
them to you.
" aThe 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.
" aEvery devoted
thing
in Israel
shall be yours.
" 1 aEvery first
issue
of the womb
of all
flesh
, whether man
or animal
, which
they offer
to the LORD
, shall be yours; nevertheless
the firstborn
of man
you shall surely
redeem
, and the firstborn
of unclean
animals
you shall redeem
.
"As to their redemption price
, from a month
old
you shall redeem
them, by your valuation
, five
1shekels
in silver
, according to the 1shekel
of the sanctuary
, which
is twenty
gerahs
.
"But athe firstborn of an ox
or
the firstborn
of a sheep
or
the firstborn
of a goat
, you shall not redeem
; they are holy
. bYou shall sprinkle
their blood
on the altar
and shall offer
up their fat
in smoke
as an offering
by fire
, for a soothing
aroma
to the LORD
.
"Their 1meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the abreast
of a wave
offering
and like the right
thigh
.
" aAll 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 perpetual
allotment
. It is ban everlasting
covenant
of salt
before
the LORD
to you and your 1descendants
with you."
Then the LORD said
to Aaron
, " aYou shall have no
inheritance
in their land
nor
own
any portion
among
them; bI am your portion
and your inheritance
among
the sons
of Israel
.
"To the sons of Levi
, behold
, I have given
all
the atithe
in Israel
for an inheritance
, in return
for their service
which
they perform
, the service
of the tent
of meeting
.
" aThe sons of Israel
shall not come
near
the tent
of meeting
again
, or they will bear
sin
and die
.
"Only the Levites shall perform
the service
of the tent
of meeting
, and they shall abear
their iniquity
; it shall be a perpetual
statute
throughout your generations
, and among
the sons
of Israel
bthey shall have
no
inheritance
.
"For the tithe of the sons
of Israel
, which
they offer
as an offering
to the LORD
, I have given
to the Levites
for an inheritance
; therefore
I have said
concerning them, ` aThey shall have
no
inheritance
among
the sons
of Israel
.' "
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
"Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites
and say
to them, `When
you take
from the sons
of Israel
athe tithe
which
I have given
you from them for your inheritance
, then you shall present
an offering
from it to the LORD
, a btithe
of the tithe
.
`Your offering shall be reckoned
to you as the grain
from the threshing
floor
or the full
produce
from the wine
vat
.
`So you shall also
present
an offering
to the LORD
from your tithes
, which
you receive
from the sons
of Israel
; and from it you shall give
the LORD'S
offering
to Aaron
the priest
.
`Out of all your gifts
you shall present
every
offering
due to the LORD
, from all
the 1best
of them, 2the sacred
part
from them.'
"You shall say to them, `When you have 1offered
from it the best
of it, then the rest shall be reckoned
to the Levites
as the product
of the threshing
floor
, and as the product
of the wine
vat
.
`You may eat it anywhere
, you and your households
, for it is your compensation
in return
for your service
in the tent
of meeting
.
`You will bear no
sin
by reason
of it when you have 1offered
the 2best
of it. But you shall not aprofane
the sacred
gifts
of the sons
of Israel
, or
you will die
.' "