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Numbers 18:9-32 Israel's Inheritance and the Levites' Portion

9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.

10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.

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

12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the Lord as the firstfruits of their harvest.

13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the Lord is yours.

15 The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours.

19 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.

22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the Tent of Meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.

23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites.

24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

25 The Lord said to Moses,

26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.

27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.

28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest.

29 You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

30 “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.

31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting.

32 By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

Cross References for Numbers 18:9-32

Leviticus 4:27 - “‘If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lo... Click to read the verse Leviticus 4:27 Click to read the verse Leviticus 4:27

Leviticus 5:6 - and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat... Click to read the verse Leviticus 5:6 Click to read the verse Leviticus 5:6

Numbers 18:8 - Offerings for Priests and Levites Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge... Click to read the verse Numbers 18:8 Click to read the verse Numbers 18:8

Leviticus 5:1 - “‘If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regard... Click to read the verse Leviticus 5:1 Click to read the verse Leviticus 5:1

Leviticus 10:17 - “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to yo... Click to read the verse Leviticus 10:17 Click to read the verse Leviticus 10:17

Leviticus 2:3 - The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the off... Click to read the verse Leviticus 2:3 Click to read the verse Leviticus 2:3

Leviticus 10:12-13 - Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left ... Click to read the verse Leviticus 10:12-13 Click to read the verse Leviticus 10:12-13

Leviticus 7:9 - Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest ... Click to read the verse Leviticus 7:9 Click to read the verse Leviticus 7:9

Leviticus 4:22 - “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the L... Click to read the verse Leviticus 4:22 Click to read the verse Leviticus 4:22

Leviticus 7:1 - The Guilt Offering “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: Click to read the verse Leviticus 7:1 Click to read the verse Leviticus 7:1

Leviticus 7:7 - “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the prie... Click to read the verse Leviticus 7:7 Click to read the verse Leviticus 7:7

Leviticus 14:13 - He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are... Click to read the verse Leviticus 14:13 Click to read the verse Leviticus 14:13

Leviticus 6:25-26 - “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering i... Click to read the verse Leviticus 6:25-26 Click to read the verse Leviticus 6:25-26

Leviticus 22:4 - “‘If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat... Click to read the verse Leviticus 22:4 Click to read the verse Leviticus 22:4

Leviticus 2:1-3 - The Grain Offering “‘When someone brings a grain offering to the Lord, his offering is to be of... Click to read the verse Leviticus 2:1-3 Click to read the verse Leviticus 2:1-3