BEMIḎBAR 18 (Numbers 18)

1 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Aharon, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you are to bear the wickedness against the Miqdash, and you and your sons with you are to bear the wickedness against your kehunnah.

2 “But bring with you your brothers of the tribe of Lĕwi too, the tribe of your father to join you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the Tent of the Witness.

3 “And they shall guard your charge, and the duty of all the Tent, but they do not come near the furnishings of the qodesh place and the altar, lest they die, both they and you.

4 “And they shall be joined with you and guard the duty to the Tent of Appointment, for all the service of the Tent, but a stranger does not come near you.

5 “And you shall guard the duty of the qodesh place and the duty of the altar, so that there be no more wrath on the children of Yisra’ĕl.

6 “And see, I Myself have taken your brothers the Lĕwites from the midst of the children of Yisra’ĕl – a gift to you, given by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to do the service of the Tent of Appointment.

7 “But you and your sons with you are to guard your kehunnah for all matters at the altar and behind the veil, and you shall serve. I have given you the kehunnah as a gift for service, but the stranger who comes near is put to death.”

8 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 spoke to Aharon, “And see, I Myself have also given you the charge of My contributions, all the qodesh gifts of the children of Yisra’ĕl. I have given them to you for the anointing, and to your sons, as a Law forever.

9 “This is yours of the most qodesh gifts, from the fire: all their offerings, all their grain offerings and all their sin offerings and all their guilt offerings which they render to Me, are most qodesh for you and your sons.

10 “Eat it in the most qodesh place – every male eats it. It is qodesh to you.

11 “This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Yisra’ĕl. I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as a Law forever. Everyone who is clean in your house eats it.

12 “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the new wine and the grain – their first-fruits which they give to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 – I have given them to you.

13 “The first-fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, are yours. Everyone who is clean in your house eats it.

14 “All that is dedicated in Yisra’ĕl is yours.

15 “Everyone opening a womb of all flesh, which they bring to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, whether man or beast, is yours. But the first-born of man you shall certainly ransom, and the first-born of the unclean beast you ransom.

16 “And ransom their ransomed ones when one month old, according to your valuation, five sheqels of silver, according to the sheqel of the qodesh place, which is twenty gĕrahs.

17 “But the first-born of a cow, or the first-born of a sheep, or the first-born of a goat you do not ransom, they are qodesh. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

18 “And their flesh is yours, as the wave breast and as the right thigh, it is yours.

19 “All the contributions of the qodesh gifts, which the children of Yisra’ĕl present to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as a Law forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 with you and your seed with you.”

20 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Aharon, “You are not to have an inheritance in their land, nor have any portion in their midst. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Yisra’ĕl.

21 “And see, I have given the children of Lĕwi all the tithes in Yisra’ĕl as an inheritance in return for the service which they are serving, the service of the Tent of Appointment.

22 “And let the children of Yisra’ĕl no more come near the Tent of Appointment, lest they bear sin and die,

23 because the Lĕwites shall do the service of the Tent of Appointment, so they themselves bear their wickedness. A Law forever, throughout your generations: that among the children of Yisra’ĕl they are to have no inheritance,

24 but the tithes of the children of Yisra’ĕl, which they present as a contribution to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, I have given to the Lĕwites as an inheritance. That is why I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Yisra’ĕl they have no inheritance.’ ”

25 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 spoke to Mosheh, saying,

26 “Speak to the Lĕwites and say to them, ‘When you take from the children of Yisra’ĕl the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution of it to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, a tenth of the tithe.

27 ‘And your contribution shall be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing-floor and as filling from the winepress.

28 ‘Thus you also present a contribution unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall give from it the contribution to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 to Aharon the kohĕn.

29 ‘From all your gifts you present every contribution due to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, from all the best of them, the qodesh part of them.’

30 “And you shall say to them, ‘When you have presented the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Lĕwites as the yield of the threshing-floor and as the yield of the winepress.

31 ‘And you shall eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your service in the Tent of Appointment,

32 and bear no sin because of it, when you have presented the best of it, and do not profane the qodesh gifts of the children of Yisra’ĕl, lest you die.’ ”